


Knotlimb (Revisited)

by gildatheplant



Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: 1962 values, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Dark!Erik, Horror, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2016-06-26
Packaged: 2018-07-16 08:51:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 10
Words: 32,374
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7260823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gildatheplant/pseuds/gildatheplant
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>STORY HAS BEEN HEAVILY ALTERED AND REVISED. See tags and updated A/N for details. In 1962, Charles Xavier and his sister Raven move to the cozy town of Knotlimb to inherit the house their aunt left to them. Even as they make friends and settle into their new lives, a sinister presence begins to shadow over Charles' life. A presence obsessed with having Charles for its own...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Knotlimb

**Author's Note:**

> A/N (UPDATED): After a 3 year hiatus, I’m finally revisiting Knotlimb. I’ve decided to repost it rather than continue with the original version because I have made some major (and minor) changes to the plot/story/characters and I didn’t want to upset fans of the original by getting rid of it completely. Aside from the first chapter, most have undergone serious revisions. One of the major changes (as noted in the relationship tags) is the addition of Charles/Logan, which will replace the original version’s hints of Charles/Moira.
> 
> A/N (ORIGINAL): This is a horror story that takes place in 1962 (with flashbacks to earlier time periods). This means that there may be a lot of potential triggers such as murder, rape, torture, ableism, racism, sexism, homophobia, gore, suicide etc. More may be added as the story progresses.
> 
> I should also state that the nature of Charles’ disability is different in this story than usual in order to stay true to the time period. It’s important to both his character and the plot that he has used a wheelchair since childhood, but sadly, a child of that time would’ve never survived being paralyzed. To keep things realistic, I’ve chosen to have him need a wheelchair because his legs were amputated instead.

Charles Xavier looked out the taxi’s window and noticed the sky beginning to darken. Apparently, the closest airport to the Town of Knotlimb was, in fact, nowhere near it. The drive had finally taken its toll on Raven, who was sleeping deeply in the seat next to him, her head tilted towards her window. Exhaustion was beginning to get the better of him too. It weighed his eyelids down, making it increasingly difficult for him to stay awake. A yawn escaped him.

The driver, a friendly young black man named Armando Munoz, chuckled softly, “Don’t worry, Mr. Xavier, it won’t be long now.”

Charles rubbed his face sleepily, “Do you think we’ll make it before nightfall, Mr. Munoz?”

“You can call me Darwin, Mr. Xavier, everybody does,” he glanced towards the setting sun, “Sorry to say this, but it looks like nightfall is gonna beat us.”

Charles groaned. “I feel like I’ve been traveling forever.”

Darwin winced, “Sorry Mr. Xavier...”

That woke Charles up a bit, “Oh no, no, no, my friend, I’m well aware it’s not your fault. The plane was delayed for over six hours, threw the rest of our schedule right off.”

Charles sighed, “That’s right. We thought we’d arrive early enough to get ourselves settled in and well-rested. At this point, I have no idea how I’ll wake up in time for all my meetings tomorrow.”

“What are your meetings for?”

Charles smiled, “Well, the first meeting is with the staff of Creek Woods High School. I’m going to be teaching science there, and they wanted to help me get acquainted with the place before the fall semester starts next week.”

Darwin shook his head, “Man, I can’t believe how fast the summer flew by...Anyways, what are your other meetings for?”

“Only one other meeting, actually, but I imagine the first one will take up most of the morning and the second will take up most of the afternoon. I need to meet with the contractor who will be renovating the house Raven and I will be moving into. From what I’ve been told it’s quite run-down and I know no one’s lived in it for years. In the meantime, we’ll be staying at Green Meadow Inn.”

Before Darwin could respond, Raven let out a groggy groan and sat up. “ _Please_ tell me we’re almost there...”

Darwin laughed and pointed out the front window. Darkness had indeed fallen, but the road ahead of them revealed the warm lights of a town. “There it is: Knotlimb.”

Raven sat back with a dramatic sigh, “I was honestly beginning to think it didn’t exist.”

Charles rolled his eyes, “How could you think? You’ve been in a coma for the past hour or so.”

Raven glared at him, “I’m too tired for a comeback right now, but when I’ve got the strength, you’ll be sorry.”

Darwin grinned, “OK, speaking of tired, do you two want me to drop you off directly at the inn, or do you want to grab something to eat first?”

Charles glanced at Raven, “We should probably eat, yes?”

Raven nodded and looked to Darwin, “Is there a fast food place around here? I’d rather just bring food back to the inn.”

“Best burger joint in town is just around the corner. We’ll stop by there and then head to the inn. Sound good?”

A tired but enthusiastic yes came from each of his passengers.

+++

After a quick stop to pick up dinner, Darwin was finally parking the car in front of the inn. Raven was carefully holding the two cups of soda while Charles kept a protective hand on the bag of burgers and fries so it didn’t fall off the seat between them.

“Do you need a hand getting out of the car, Mr. Xavier?”

Charles nodded, “If could bring my wheelchair around to my door, that would be perfect.” He turned to Raven, “Here I’ll hold the drinks so you can get out.”

Raven handed them over then stepped out of the car. Her legs wobbled a bit, but she found her footing and reached back in. “OK your turn.”

Charles passed the drinks to her just as Darwin opened the door for him. The wheelchair rolled into view, and Charles climbed into it with practiced ease. He then reached back into the car to grab the blanket he used to help cover the stumps of his legs and the bag of food.

Raven was staring up at the lovely, home-style inn with a slight frown on her face. “I don’t suppose they gave us a first floor room, did they?”

Charles sighed, “I’m afraid they don’t have any on the first floor. That’s where the kitchen, the front desk, and the proprietor’s own living quarters are.”

Raven placed the drinks on top of the cab. “OK, I’ll go inside and ask the front desk if someone can come out and help us...”

Darwin began unpacking the trunk while Raven went inside. A moment later, the door swung open and Raven was leading a middle-aged man and a girl of about 12 years old towards them. The man smiled warmly and held out his hand, “Hello Mr. Xavier, I’m John Grey and this is my daughter, Jean. My wife Elaine and I run Green Meadow.”

Charles smiled and shook the man’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Grey. I must thank you for arranging for Mr. Munoz to pick us up at the airport, he’s been very helpful.”

Mr. Grey nodded, “Well, when you called and said your plane was delayed, I realized you probably wouldn’t be gettin’ to town until after dark. That’s why I told you I’d send a cab to pick you up. Wouldn’t feel right, leaving you two in the hands of some city cabbie who hasn’t even set foot in Knotlimb before.” He gestured warmly towards Darwin, “Now _this_ cabbie on the other hand, was born and raised in Knotlimb, he can get you around town with his eyes closed.”

Darwin laughed, “Thanks Mr. Grey, but I don’t think I’ll try it!”

Mr. Grey chuckled then glanced between Charles and Raven. His expression turned apologetic, “I’m sorry. Here I am going on and on, while you two look ready to pass out. Let’s get you upstairs first then Darwin, Jeanie and I can worry about your bags.” He looked towards the steps, “What’s the best way to do this, Mr. Xavier?”

Charles shifted uncomfortably; he hated dealing with stairs. “Well, it might be easiest if...if my sister supported me on one side and someone else did on the other. The third person can follow with the wheelchair.”

Jean stepped forward, “Can I help? I’d like to help if I can.”

Raven handed her the bag of food and the blanket from Charles’ lap then pointed to the roof of the cab, “Can you grab the drinks, too?”

Jean’s eyes widened for a moment at the sight of Charles’ legs, but she quickly did as she was asked. “Sure, right away!”

With that, Raven slipped an arm under one of Charles arms and Mr. Grey did the same on Charles’ other side. Charles gripped their shoulders and they lifted him out of the chair. Thankfully both the outdoor, and much taller indoor, flights of stairs were wide enough that the three of them had no trouble going up. Darwin followed behind with the wheelchair and Jean brought up the rear. Once everyone was at the top of the staircase, Charles was lowered back into his chair. Darwin headed downstairs followed by Jean, after she handed the food and drinks to Raven. Mr. Grey led Charles and Raven down the hall.

The door to their room was already open; Mrs. Grey inside turning on lights and checking to make sure everything was up to her high standards. The room was a good size with two beds, a nightstand between them, a small breakfast table with a chair under the window, a large dresser, a closet and a washroom. When they entered she smiled brightly at them, “It’s lovely to meet you both. Please, if there’s anything you need, anything at all, just let us know.”

Charles smiled, “Thank you, Mrs. Grey.”

Mr. Grey gave Charles a pat on the shoulder and a nod toward Raven, who was already setting the food on the table, “The two of you go on and eat your dinner. The rest of us will have your stuff up in no time.”

True to his word, while Charles and Raven ate their long-awaited meal, the other four managed to bring all of their luggage upstairs. Darwin placed the last bag down, “Well, that’s the last of it. I better be going though.”

Charles quickly fumbled for his wallet, “Oh, wait Darwin-“

The man smiled and raised a hand to calm him, “How do you plan to get to your meeting tomorrow?”

Charles blinked, “Umm... cab?”

Darwin laughed, “What time do you need me to be here?”

“The meeting starts at 9am, so I suppose 8:30 would be good?” Charles was still a bit confused.

Darwin nodded, still smiling, “Alright, well, I’ll be here at 8:30 tomorrow morning. Don’t even think about paying me until then. Just get some rest.”

He gave a quick wave and was out the door before Charles could form a protest. Mr. Grey chuckled, “I told you, Knotlimb, born and raised.”


	2. The Tour Pt.1

The shrill ringing of the alarm clock cut through Charles’ head like a hot knife. He groaned pitifully and flung out an arm to try to turn it off, but the clock wasn’t in its usual place. Groggily he opened his eyes, tired mind struggling to recognize where he was. He finally realized he was at the inn and that he’d been reaching for the alarm clock on the wrong side of the bed. Turning over, he saw the nightstand with the alarm clock, as well as Raven on her bed, trying to block out the sound with a pillow over her head. 

“Chaarrrlllleesss! Turn that awful thing off!!!” Raven’s muffled voice whined. 

Charles slammed his hand down on the off button and sighed with relief as the room went quiet. Raven removed the pillow from her head to give him a grumpy look. “Took you long enough.”

“I’m used to my alarm clock being on the other side of the bed. Besides, I didn’t see you trying to turn it off.” Charles grumpily said right back.

They glared at each other for a long moment before the ridiculousness of the argument got the better of them, and they both broke into chuckles. Raven shook her head in amusement, “We are _not_ morning people...”

Charles rubbed his eyes, “No we are not, but Darwin will be here soon, so we’d better get ready. Would you like the washroom first?”

Raven flopped back on the bed, “Nope. I’ll wait.”

Charles scoffed and muttered a fond, “Lazy.” Raven simply giggled in response. He pulled himself into his wheelchair and went into the washroom, closing the door behind him. Thankfully, the washroom was quite large, so it wasn’t too difficult for him to maneuver his chair close to the toilet. After relieving himself, he washed his hands, stripped, placed his pyjamas in a pile on the counter of the sink and turned the tap on. Once the water reached a comfortable temperature, he plugged the drain. Though baths tended to take a bit longer, he found them less awkward then taking showers. While he waited for the tub to fill up, he turned to the sink. It was a bit high, but he managed to brush his teeth and shave without making too much of a mess. 

He turned back to the tub and noticed it was full enough, so he turned off the tap. The warm water felt marvelous as he slipped in, and he splashed himself eagerly with it. A bar of soap and a small bottle of shampoo had been placed on the side of the tub, so Charles took the bar and began lathering himself all over with it. Charles was very strict about fitness, so his arms and torso were more than strong enough to keep his body balanced in the slippery tub. The stumps of his thighs, his legs had been amputated a few inches above the knee, also helped to brace him. For a few moments, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the feel of rubbing the soap deep into his aching muscles, groaning softly whenever he pressed against a particularly tight knot in his neck and shoulders. He sighed, realizing he had to get moving. A quick rinse, then he grabbed the shampoo and lathered his hair. The refreshing scent brushed the last of the cobwebs from his mind and he turned the tap back on, bending to duck his head beneath it to rinse the shampoo away before turning the tap off again and pulling the plug.

He pulled himself reluctantly out of the bath and wrapped himself in one of the inn’s large fluffy towels before settling back in his chair. He opened the door, towel firmly wrapped around his waist, pyjamas in hand, and called to Raven, “OK the washroom’s all yours.”

Raven, still in bed, grumbled and pulled the pillow over her head again. Charles rolled his eyes and went to the bottom of her bed, muttering, “Honestly, Raven, you’re only two years younger than me, not some little...” He trailed off as she continued to ignore him, so Charles took drastic measures, grabbing her blankets and yanking them away. “Get up lazy bones! We have a busy day!”

Raven gave a startled yelp and sat up, glaring at Charles. He just smiled and waved at her, impervious to her morning grumpiness. With a huff, Raven finally headed to the washroom.

Charles rummaged through his bags, deciding on an outfit. While today was his first meeting at the school, it was still technically summer, so he wasn’t sure if a suit would be considered too formal. Then again, dressing too casually might give the impression that he wasn’t taking his new job seriously. Biting his lip, he decided to play it safe by choosing a dark blue suit, crisp white dress shirt and matching blue tie. Decision made, Charles tossed the towel onto the bed and started getting dressed. The trousers, like all of his bottoms from suits to pyjamas, had been carefully cut and sewed to fit over the stumps of his legs. While he usually wore a light blanket over top to cover them, taking it off sometimes was unavoidable, so he made sure all his trousers looked as good as possible.

He was just straightening his tie when there was a knock on the door. He turned and called out, “Come in.”

The door opened and young Jean stepped in, balancing a tray with coffee, orange juice and cups. She smiled brightly, “Good morning Mr. Xavier, did you sleep well?”

Charles smiled, “Yes I did, Jean, thank you for asking.”

“Mom said you’re going to be a teacher at the high school.”

Charles nodded as he moved to the table for coffee, “Yes, I’m going to be teaching science.”

Jean perked up, “I like science! Mom and Dad say I don’t really need it unless I want to be a nurse, but I want to be a scientist.”

Always glad to meet a fellow science enthusiast, Charles was eager to encourage her, “Oh? What kind of scientist would you like to be?”

Jean looked at him in surprise, clearly not expecting him to take her interest seriously, “I want to be a scientist who studies birds! I think they’re amazing. The way they can fly, the colors of their feathers, all the different sounds they make! Did you know the fastest animal in the world is a bird? It’s the Peregrine Falcon! It can fly up to-“ 

“Jean!” Mrs. Grey stood at the door holding a tray full of food, “Do stop talking poor Mr. Xavier’s ear off.”

Jean blushed with embarrassment, but Charles smiled warmly, “It’s no trouble at all, Mrs. Grey. As a teacher I find it quite refreshing to hear a child talk so enthusiastically about learning.”

The young girl sent him a thankful look, as Mrs. Grey’s expression softened, “Well that may be true, but if you give this one an opening, she’ll never stop her bird chatter.” Mrs. Grey looked down at her daughter, “And that might keep her from doing her chores.”

“Sorry, mom,” She turned to Charles, “Maybe we can talk more later?”

The teacher chuckled, “I’d like that Jean.”

+++

Darwin arrived promptly at 8:25am. Raven was still finishing up her hair and makeup, so Charles asked Darwin to pack the wheelchair in the cab while they waited. When he returned, Raven was ready and together they helped Charles down the stairs and into the taxi.

Starting the ignition, Darwin glanced at them in the rear view mirror, “Did you have a chance to eat yet?”

Charles smiled, “Yes, thank you, Darwin. Mrs. Grey brought up some coffee and breakfast for us.”

“So, straight to the school then?” Darwin asked.

Charles nodded, “Yes, thank you. I know we’ll arrive a bit early, but it will give me a chance to look around the grounds.”

“Since the school is across town, I can give you a mini-tour on the way if you like.”

“That would be wonderful,” Charles replied. Both glanced over at Raven, expecting a response, only to notice she’d already begun to nod off again. Charles pinched her arm lightly, “Darwin’s going to give us a little tour on the way there. It might be helpful if you kept your eyes open.”

She sat up, trying to hide her embarrassment, “Right, yes. I’m awake. Let’s go.”

Darwin grinned and pulled out of the parking lot, “Alright, here we go! We’re currently in the west end of Knotlimb, where the majority of newer buildings are. As we head toward the center of town, we’ll start seeing much older buildings such as the town hall, the police station and the town’s largest, and oldest, church. The east end is where most of the schools are as well as the town library, hospital...”

Darwin was a natural tour guide, entertaining and informative. Charles was almost a bit disappointed when they reached their destination. The high school was an average size for a smallish town, with two floors and a wide staircase five steps tall leading to the front entrance. There were only a couple cars in the school’s parking lot, which wasn’t surprising since they were still a bit early for the meeting, so Darwin was able to park close to the front of the building. As soon as the cab was stopped, Darwin was out the door and getting the wheelchair out of the trunk. Charles opened his door and helped Darwin maneuver the chair into place, while Raven took Charles’ briefcase for him and got out on her side.

“Would you like me to stay here until your meeting is over Mr. Xavier? I can drive you to your next meeting...”

Charles shook his head. “Thank you for the offer, but I’m not exactly sure how long this meeting is going to be. If you could give me your company’s number, I can call you once the meeting is over.”

Darwin reached into his pocket and pulled out a card with _President’s Taxi and Delivery Service_ written on it. “It’s a family run business,” Darwin said proudly, “My father is the one who usually answers the phone, so just give him your name and what time you’d like to be picked up, and he’ll send me over.”

“Thank you, Darwin,” Charles got out his wallet and put the card inside, then took out several bills and offered them to the cab driver.

Darwin’s eyes widened and he shook his head, “Oh that’s too much, Mr. Xavier...”

Charles cut him off, “You’ve been very helpful to me and my sister, Darwin, please let me do at least this much for you.”

Raven grinned, “If it helps, consider it interest for being too sleepy to pay you last night.”

Understanding crossed Darwin’s face and he smiled, accepting the money from Charles’ hand. “Thank you, Mr. Xavier, you’re a generous man.”

Charles smiled back, “You’re most welcome, my friend. We’ll see you later.”

With a wave goodbye, Darwin returned to his cab and drove off, leaving Charles and Raven alone in the parking lot. Raven turned to her brother, “Did you want to wander around the grounds a bit, or should we check if the door is open yet?”

Charles looked at the two cars in the parking lot. One was rather old and beat up looking, perhaps the janitor’s or groundskeeper’s car, but the other looked fairly new. “That might be Principal Richards’ car. He did say he would be arriving early to get things set-up. Perhaps we should check?”

Raven had just climbed to the top of the steps when a new car arrived in the parking lot, a pure white 1958 Corvette convertible. The top was down, so when the car parked a few feet away from where Charles was sitting, it was easy for him to see the beautiful blond driver. She smiled at him as she stepped out of the car, her eyes hidden behind large sunglasses with white frames. In fact, she was dressed entirely in white, from her high heels to her structured yet figure hugging dress. She removed her sunglasses and slipped them into her purse, before gracefully closing the distance between them and offering Charles her hand.

“Good morning, I’m Emma Frost. You must be Charles Xavier. I teach English here at Forest Creek High.”

Charles smiled and shook her hand warmly, “It’s very nice to meet you Miss Frost.” He let go of her hand to gesture toward Raven. “This is my sister, Raven.”

Emma smiled at her and they shook hands. Raven pointed to the school, “We were just about to check if anyone was here yet.”

The blond woman pointed to the newer of the original cars, “Principal Richards is here, but we should probably wait for Logan and Mr. McCoy before we head inside.”

Charles gave her a puzzled look, “Who are Logan and Mr. McCoy?”

She raised an eyebrow, “Didn’t Richards tell you that Logan, Mr. McCoy and I would be giving you a tour before the actual meeting starts?” Charles shook his head and Emma sighed, “Well, most of the other staff members won’t be arriving until 10:30. However, Richards thought it would be best if you were familiar with the school ahead of time, so he asked the three of us to come in early to show-“

She was cut off by the sound of another car pulling up into the parking lot. The driver parked very carefully on the other side of Miss Frost’s car. A very tall, somewhat gangly young man with thick glasses stepped out of the car and hurried over to them. He held his hand out to Charles smiling brightly, “Hello, I’m Hank McCoy.” Charles took his hand and the man eagerly began shaking it, “I can’t tell you how honored I am to be working with you, Mr. Xavier. I mean, it’s exciting enough that you’re an Oxford graduate, but I read an article you wrote in one of my science journals and it was really brilliant. Your theories on evolution are truly ground-breaking!”

Charles smiled warmly, “I’m flattered, Mr. McCoy. I wrote that article a couple years ago for one of my classes. I was surprised when my professor insisted I send it to get published. I didn’t even know it had been printed in America.”

Mr. McCoy nodded, still shaking Charles’ hand, “Well I think the journal I read it in was a joint American and British pro-“

Miss Frost cut him off, “Mr. McCoy, I think Mr. Xavier would appreciate his hand back. Also, you might want to tell him what it is you do at the school.”

The young man suddenly became flustered, letting go of Charles’ hand and straightening up, “I’m so sorry Mr. Xavier.”

Charles couldn’t help chuckling, “It’s quite alright, Mr. McCoy. It’s nice to meet a fellow enthusiastic scientist. I take it that’s what you teach as well?”

Mr. McCoy nodded, “Last year I was Mr. Richards’ assistant teacher, but with him taking the principal position and Mr. Carlton, the other science teacher, retiring, they offered me one of the openings.”

“That’s wonderful, congratulations.” Charles smiled, “I should also introduce my sister, Raven.”

McCoy looked towards her and offered his hand, blushing shyly, “Hello, Miss Xavier.”

Raven gave him a confident smile and shook his hand warmly, “You can just call me Raven.”

“Oh um, then you can call me Hank.” He let go of her hand, careful not to repeat the same handshake mistake he’d made with her brother, and then glanced at Miss Frost. “When do you-“

He stopped talking as they heard the rumbling of an approaching vehicle. A large, dark blue pickup truck pulled into the lot, parking right in the middle. Hank sighed, “Never mind, here he is.”

The owner of the truck hopped out. He was a tall, muscular man dressed in jeans and a plaid shirt, sleeves rolled up and the top few buttons undone, showing a triangle of the white t-shirt beneath it. He swaggered over to them.

Miss Frost rolled her eyes, “Logan would it have killed you to dress appropriately?”

Logan shrugged, “It’s still summer, so what I’m wearing is appropriate.” 

Miss Frost raised a delicate eyebrow, “Appropriate? Your jeans are covered in paint stains.”

Logan looked down, “Huh, so they are.” He looked back up with a smirk, “Reed’s gonna be thrilled when he sees me.”

The blond shook her head, “I have no idea how you still have a job.”

Logan gave another shrug, pulled out a cigar and put it between his teeth before turning his attention to Charles. “You must be Chuck.”

Charles raised an eyebrow, not the least bit intimidated. It was obvious from the way the man teased Frost that there was no real malice in his behaviour. Still, Charles couldn’t resist teasing back, “You must be the campus...lumberjack?”

Logan laughed and clapped Charles on the shoulder, “We’re gonna get along just fine, Chuck.” He looked over to Raven, “And you are?”

She smiled, “I’m Charles’ sister, Raven.”

He shook her hand, “Logan, how ya doin’.” Letting go, he gestured to the building, “Where to first?”

Emma pointed toward a path that led to the back of the school. “Let’s show them around the school grounds first then go inside. “

Logan shrugged then looked at Charles, “You need help with your chair?”

Charles shook his head, “As long as we stick to the path I should be fine.”

“Right,” Logan started walking down the path, slow enough that Charles could keep pace beside him. “So, in case ice queen and four-eyes didn’t tell ya, I’m the gym teacher.”

Charles snorted, “I guess I can’t complain about being called, Chuck.”

“Nope, and you’re gonna have to get used to it too because you and I are partnered up for lunch monitor duty.”

Charles scowled at him, “You are NOT calling me Chuck in front of the students...”

+++

After showing them the football field, track, bleachers and pointing out the fences and trees that marked the boundary of the school grounds, the gym teacher led them inside. Logan and Hank were able to lift Charles in his chair up the front steps without difficulty, though Raven kept a careful eye out anyways. Once inside, Emma took over the tour, pointing out the teachers’ lounge, library, cafeteria and classrooms.

She turned a corner and smiled, “This hallway is where all the science classrooms and labs are. Mr. McCoy, perhaps you’d like to take over?”

Hank eagerly started guiding Charles through the different rooms, showing him where everything was stored, the type of equipment they had and the different textbooks. Raven, Miss Frost and Logan waited out in the hall. Logan puffed his cigar, “Does anyone actually know what they’re talking about right now?”

Miss Frost chuckled, “You should’ve seen the way Hank introduced himself. If he was a puppy he would’ve been wagging his tail and licking Mr. Xavier’s face.”

Logan snorted, “Sorry I missed it.” He glanced at a clock on the wall, “Doesn’t look like we’ll have time to show him the second floor, meeting’s gonna start soon.”

Raven gave him a somewhat nervous look, “What’s on the second floor?”

Miss Frost waved her hand dismissively, “Not a whole lot really, just more classrooms. All the rooms your brother will be using are on the first floor.”

Raven looked relieved, “I have to admit, I was a little worried about that...”

The older woman smiled reassuringly, “He’ll be fine.”

Logan grinned, “Yeah and if any of the kids do give him a hard time, I’ll take care of the little brats. The students don’t call me ‘the wolverine’ for nothin’.” He went to the classroom the two science teachers were in and banged on the open doorway. “Sorry to break-up the party, but we’ve gotta get to the teachers’ lounge.”

+++

The lounge was about halfway full by the time they arrived. Several people laughed when they saw Logan stroll in, though a few of the older staffers glared disapprovingly. Principal Reed Richards stood up and handed him an ash tray, “Put it out, Mr. Howlett.”

Charles grinned, “So you have a last name after all!” 

The principal walked over to Charles and shook his hand, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Mr. Xavier. I trust Miss Frost and Mr. McCoy were able to make you feel welcome despite Mr. Howlett’s behaviour.” 

Charles smiled, “I’ve had a wonderful morning so far, Mr. Richards, thank you. I’d like you to meet my sister, Raven.” 

“How do you do, Miss Xavier. Please feel free to sit wherever you like. The rest of the staff should be filing in shortly.” 

+++

After formal introductions were made, the meeting started in earnest. Charles dutifully took notes when needed and listened carefully to everyone’s comments and concerns about the upcoming school year. By the time it was finished, over two and a half hours had passed. 

The moment Principal Richards called the meeting to the end, almost everyone began packing up and hurrying towards the door. Charles could hardly blame them; he himself couldn’t wait for lunch. Still, he didn’t want to get in the way of the people crowding the door, so he took his time packing up. Raven had actually been one of the first out the door, whispering to him quickly before she left about her need to visit the ladies’ room. He could feel some of the people staring at his wheelchair while they made their way out, and he tried to ignore their pitying looks by pretending to go over his notes. 

A shadow fell across him and he looked up in surprise. Logan leaned against the table beside him, essentially blocking the view. “What’re you and Raven up to now?”

Charles smiled up at Logan, “Well, we have about an hour for lunch, and then we have to drive up to the house to meet with the contractors. We need to discuss what renovations will be needed before we can move in.” 

Logan nodded, “What house is that?” 

“It’s not actually in town; it’s about ten minutes northeast. I’m afraid I haven’t actually seen the house, yet, so I can’t describe it further.” 

Logan’s eyebrows shot up at that, “You’re telling me you bought a place you’ve never even _seen_ before?” 

Charles laughed at the gym teacher’s reaction, “Oh no, no, no, that _would_ be crazy. The house already belongs to me; my Aunt Mable gave it to me in her will.” Logan continued to look at him dubiously so Charles explained further, “I’m told she kept it in very good condition. The renovations will mostly be to make it more accessible for me and for general maintenance, that’s all.” 

“Huh, if that’s the place I think it is, I heard it’s haunted.” 

Behind them, Raven cried, “What?” 

Charles rolled his eyes; of course this would be when she came back. “He’s just joking, Raven. I’m sure dear Aunt Mable wouldn’t be-“

Logan cut him off, “I didn’t mean your aunt. That place has supposedly been haunted for _decades_.”

Raven glanced between them, then focused on Charles, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“For one, this is the first I’ve heard of it.” He shot a withering look at Logan who just smirked in return, “Two, I’m sure Aunt Mable wouldn’t have kept it as her summer home if it was haunted. She actually owned two homes in Knotlimb, one downtown and our one. Clearly, our one is nicer if she chose to keep it and sell the other.” 

“That or she couldn’t sell it because of all the ghosts,” Logan replied. 

“Oh be quiet,” Charles said trying to sound stern while struggling not to laugh. 

Raven laughed and shook her head, “Alright come on. We better call Darwin, so we have time to grab something to eat before we visit the _House on Haunted Hill_.”


	3. The Tour Pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter introduces the house, so warning for possible creepy stuff. I should also note that the character of Aunt Mable (who will appear only in references and possibly flashbacks) is an OC. There’s little mention in comics or the films of Charles’ family aside from his birth parents and step family, so I figure there’s some room to play with his family history. However, one thing in comics (and the 90s cartoon) that I noticed is that in both looks and personality, Charles isn’t like either of his real parents, but he does resemble at least one of his Xavier ancestors. This story will make use of that idea...

Within minutes of calling him, Darwin was pulling his cab into the school’s parking lot. Logan, Hank and even Miss Frost, had stayed with Charles and Raven to wait for their ride. Charles waved to Darwin then turned to the others, “Thank you all for a wonderful welcome. I really look forward-“ 

Logan cut him off, “You make it sound like you don’t plan on seeing us ‘til next week.” 

Charles blinked in confusion, “Well it’s Friday so-“ 

“So I’m invitin’ all of ya to come out to my place tonight for barbeque. Address is 33 Kingston Road.” Logan grinned, “There’ll be meat and beer...though with the way my friends drink you might wanna bring a little extra of the latter.” 

Raven grinned, “That sounds great, right Charles?” 

“Yes it does,” he smiled a bit uncertainly, “but I’m afraid I’m not quite sure when we’ll be done at the house...” 

Logan shrugged, “Eh, come by whenever. Formality’s not really my thing.” 

Emma made a delicate noise that was likely her equivalent of a snort, “I think they might’ve picked up on that.” 

“You gonna come ice queen or what?”

Emma smirked, “I suppose so...perhaps I can bring some class to the proceedings.” 

Logan rolled his eyes and turned to Hank, “What about you, four eyes?” 

“You talk like you’ve never met someone with glasses before, “Hank muttered. “But yeah, OK, I’ll be there.” 

“Great, see ya later,” he waved and headed towards his truck. 

“Well we better be heading off, too.” Charles started toward the cab and Darwin quickly got out to help him. 

Raven waved to the others, “Thanks again, we’ll see you both tonight.” 

After saying their goodbyes, Hank and Emma went to their cars and drove out of the parking lot. Raven got to the cab just as Darwin closed the trunk on the wheelchair. She hopped in the backseat, “Do you think we’ll still have time for a quick bite to eat?” 

Charles glanced at his watch, “It’ll have to be quite quick I’m afraid.” 

Darwin climbed back into the car, “If you want a quick bite, there’s a little deli I know that can pack up some lunches for you. Their corned beef sandwiches are half a foot tall, no joke. And I don’t mind if you eat in the car.” 

Charles nodded, “That sounds perfect, thank you Darwin.” 

They drove to the deli and Raven hopped out of the car, “What would you like, Charles?” 

“I’ll have the corned beef sandwich and a coke, thanks Raven.” 

She nodded and hurried into the deli. Darwin turned in his seat, “So how did your morning go, Mr. Xavier?” 

“Oh it went very well! Several of the teachers gave us a tour and then we had a staff meeting and discussed the upcoming school year. I’m very excited to begin teaching classes. Mr. McCoy, he’s also a science teacher, was telling me that he’s thinking of starting a science club. I think it’s a brilliant idea, could be a lot of fun. Miss Frost mentioned she’s thinking of getting a chess club started, and I do love to play chess, so I’m hoping to help her start that up as well.” Charles realized he was babbling and blushed slightly, “Do you like to play chess, Darwin?” 

Darwin grinned, clearly amused by Charles’ enthusiasm, “I play a bit. My grandfather taught me.” 

“Perhaps we can play a game sometime.” 

The cabbie blinked in surprise then smiled warmly, “I’d like that Mr. Xavier.” 

Out of the corner of his eye, Charles noticed Raven hurrying down the steps with a brown paper bag and two drinks. He reached across the backseat and opened her door, so she could pass him the food and slide in beside him. 

Charles handed her back her drink then looked to Darwin, “We should probably head to the house. It’s on Woodland Road, about ten minutes northeast of the town...” 

Darwin pulled the cab out of the lot, “OK I know where that is.” He glanced in the rear view mirror, eyes widening with realization, “ _Xavier_ of course! You’re related to Miss Mable Xavier, right?” 

Charles looked surprised, “She was my aunt...You knew her?” 

The cabbie nodded, “Only a little. I drove her around sometimes, helped her with groceries that sort of thing. It was when I first started doing the driving for the family business. That must’ve been six or seven years ago now.” 

“Seven,” Charles said sadly, “I was in my second year at Oxford, but when she fell ill I took leave from my classes so Raven and I could be by her side... It was winter, so she was at her home in Florida at the time. She wanted to return to Knotlimb, but she was just too weak. We stayed with her for nearly a year before she...” He trailed off for a moment, then cleared his throat and straightened in his seat. “The funeral was in Florida, since she had quite a few friends there, but her body was sent to Knotlimb for burial...her final wishes.” 

Raven put her free hand over his, “Her church here in Knotlimb offered to make all the arrangements, since Charles and I weren’t able to make the trip up ourselves.” 

“I remember,” Darwin said softly, “Your aunt was really well-known in the community. A lot of people went to the burial, paid their respects.” 

Charles smiled, “Thank you. That is comforting to hear...” He looked out the window, “It’s almost funny, in a way, that I’ve never been here before. Everything feels so familiar...I suppose it’s because Aunt Mable spoke about the place so much...” 

Sensing Charles’ increasingly melancholy mood, Raven took his sandwich from the bag and offered it to him with a smile, “Aunt Mable wouldn’t want you to miss lunch.” 

With a chuckle, Charles took the sandwich, peeled the paper and took a bite, “Oh, that _is_ marvelous!” 

Raven grinned at him around a mouthful of her own sandwich and the mood in the cab quickly returned to its earlier cheeriness. 

+++

Several minutes after the cab left town, Darwin turned it onto a wide dirt road with a small, but neat sign on the corner that read WOODLAND ROAD. It certainly lived up to its name. The trees on both sides of the road became increasingly thick, blocking out any signs of what lay beyond them. Charles was a little surprised that there didn’t appear to be any other homes or development along the road. 

“Odd that the town doesn’t stretch out further this way, isn’t it?” Charles pointed out, sipping the last of his soda. 

Darwin shrugged, “The west end is where all the town growth seems to be. It kind of makes sense though. The west is mostly fields, not a lot of trees, makes it easier to build there.” 

Raven turned to Charles, “OK so why would your ancestors build a house in the middle of a forest? A creepy, creepy forest?” 

Before Charles could come up with an answer, Darwin cut in, “You’re his sister; wouldn’t they be your ancestors too?” 

“I’m adopted.” 

Darwin winced, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean... Wait, so is that why you two have different accents?” 

Raven smiled, “Don’t worry about it. And yes, that’s why we have different accents.” 

Charles explained, “While my father was American, my mother wasn’t. He met her on a trip to England and decided to marry her there. It’s where I was born and lived the first five or so years of my life. However, my father thought it best to move the family to America when rumours of another war started to spread.” Charles suddenly smiled, “Mother was distraught when only a few months after moving to America, my accent started to fade a bit- little children lose accents far more easily than adults- so she hired a British tutor to make sure my accent stayed strong.” 

Raven jumped in, “The tutor had stopped teaching Charles by the time I came along, but his mother hired him again for me...The man didn’t even last the whole lesson.” She put on an exaggerated English accent, “I’m sorry, Madam, but there’s simply no helping this one.” 

Charles and Darwin both started laughing. The cabbie shook his head, “Hate to say it, but I think I agree with him...” 

“I happen to think I sound lover-ly.” Raven continued in her atrocious accent and turned her nose up at them. 

Charles held up a hand in defeat, “Please, enough, enough, it’s too awful! I can’t-“He cut himself off when he caught a glimpse over Raven’s shoulder out the window. “Oh! That must be it!” 

Raven turned to follow Charles’ gaze. The house was far back from the road, at the end of a very long driveway, and partly obscured by trees. Darwin turned up the driveway. As they got closer, they noticed several cars already parked by the house, a small group of men turning to look at them. The house itself was very large, not as big as the mansion in Westchester, but certainly larger than any of the other homes they’d seen in or around Knotlimb. The house appeared to have three floors, though it was hard to tell if the windows near the roof really indicated a third floor or just a sizable attic. 

Darwin pulled to a stop near the other cars, making sure to leave enough room for the other cars to maneuver around him if they needed to. He got out of the cab to get Charles’ wheelchair, while Charles opened his door, which faced the group of men. Raven opened her own door before glancing back at Charles, “Will you need your briefcase? I can grab it for you.” 

“Yes, thank you, Raven.” Charles answered. She grabbed his briefcase and got out of the car as Darwin set up the wheelchair in front of Charles’ door. He climbed into it and with a little help from the cab driver turned to face the men. 

A somewhat portly middle aged man in a black suit was the first to move towards them, holding out his hand, “Mr. Xavier? I’m Oliver Clark of Cromwell, Clark & Greenberg. We spoke on the phone...” 

Charles smiled up at the man and took his outstretched hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Clark.” He gestured to Raven, “This is my sister, Raven.” 

Mr. Clark shook Raven’s hand then gestured to one of the men behind him, “This is my associate, Jonathan Baker, he’s been helping me set up the arrangements for you.” 

The man shook hands with both Charles and Raven, then stepped back so Mr. Clark could continue introductions. “This is Mr. Carmen Pryde. He’s the contractor your aunt had suggested in her will to take charge of any renovations to the house. I believe he renovated her other home, the one in town, to help her sell it-” 

“That’s right,” Mr. Pryde smiled and shook Charles’ hand, “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Xavier.” He turned to Raven, “and you, Miss Xavier.” He gestured at the three remaining men, “These gentlemen work for my company: Mr. Jones is an electrician, Mr. Stein is a plumber and Mr. Ross is a carpenter.” 

Charles shook each of their hands then turned to the house, “Did Aunt Mable ever speak to you about renovating this place?” 

He nodded, “I brought some of the plans we had discussed. After you do a tour of the house, I can show them to you. See if they fit with your own ideas for the place.” He pointed to the wide front porch; a small ramp had been attached to one side of the short staircase that led up to it. “Mr. Clark informed us of your condition, Mr. Xavier, so Mr. Ross and I came here early to set up that ramp. Unfortunately, we couldn’t do anything about the stairs inside, since we didn’t have the key.” 

“Not to worry.” Charles looked to Mr. Clark, “I trust you have the key?” 

The lawyer pulled the key out of his pocket and handed it to Charles with a smile, “It’s all yours now.” 

Charles turned toward the ramp, “Well, let’s take a look, shall we?” 

Mr. Clark shook his head, “Unfortunately, Mr. Baker and I won’t be able to stay for the tour. However, if there’s anything you need, please give us a call. I’m sure Mr. Pryde will be able to take it from here.” 

Charles smiled, “Of course, thank you for your assistance Mr. Clark, Mr. Baker.” 

When the two men got into their car, Raven looked at her brother eagerly, “OK, no more waiting, time for the tour.” 

+++

Most of the curtains had been drawn closed, so when Charles went through the door, the sudden dimness temporarily blinded him. Raven bumped into his chair, “Sorry, here, let me open these curtains.” 

He could hear her moving around behind him and after a few moments, the entranceway was bathed in sunshine. There was a large window on either side of the front door, so Raven spread the curtains apart on both. Charles blinked a few times to adjust his eyes then moved further into the large main hall. The lower half of the walls was wood panelled, while the upper half was covered in elaborate red and pink floral wallpaper. The back wall was dominated by a staircase in the center that led to the second floor. Both the right and left walls had open doorways which led to further hallways. 

Raven glanced at him, “Where to first?” 

Charles shrugged, “Let’s go right.” 

The others had gone to inspect the house, focusing on their areas of expertise, leaving the siblings to explore on their own. Charles and Raven followed the hallway, which led them to a very large sitting room. Only a thin crack of sunlight cut through the curtains, so Raven threw them wide open. She coughed a bit on the dust then looked around, “It’s so...floral.” 

The walls were covered in different floral wallpaper; this time predominantly shades of purple. Raven pointed to the old fashioned furniture, “Even the upholstery is covered in flowers, and the pattern doesn’t match the walls at all!” 

“Well at least the wood looks to be in good condition, we can always get the furniture reupholstered.” Charles pointed towards the fireplace at the far wall. “I think we’ll have to toss those curtains in here, though.” 

Raven made a disgusted noise as she took a second look at the curtains. They were burgundy with dark purple flowers embroidered on them. “Yuck. I didn’t even notice they were covered in flowers, too.” 

Charles was about to respond when he noticed the picture frames on the mantelpiece. He shifted on his chair and reached out, grabbing the closest one. He was surprised to notice that there was very little dust on it, “Raven come look!” 

She hurried over and took the picture from his offering hand. He grinned, “Can you guess who that handsome fellow is?” 

Raven smiled in delight, “Aww is this a baby photo of you?” 

“It is indeed. That’s Aunt Mable holding me.” He glanced up at the other pictures on the mantel and pointed, “I bet there are a few more up there. Whenever Aunt Mable came to visit she always made sure to take a ridiculous amount of photos. It’s why I was rather surprised that there were so few in her house in Florida, but I suppose she preferred to keep them here.” 

Raven started looking more carefully at the photos, “Oh! What about this one?” 

She handed it to Charles, “This is a picture of me with my parents and Aunt Mable. It must’ve been taken shortly after we moved to Westchester.” 

Raven’s brow furrowed, “That man is your father? He doesn’t really look like you.” 

“No, but he looks a lot like Aunt Mable, doesn’t he? From what she told me, they both took after my grandmother’s side of the family...she said that I take after the Xavier side of the family, like my grandfather.” He looked up at the mantel, “Do you think you spot any pictures of my grandparents?” 

Raven shook her head, “I don’t think so...Oh look!” She grabbed a picture and handed it to him, “It’s a picture of Aunt Mable and Sharon with us. That must be from my first Christmas with you.” 

Charles smiled, “I remember. Mother made us all dress in our best Sunday clothes and hassled the poor butler until the Christmas tree looked absolutely perfect before she’d let a single photograph be taken.” He shook his head, “But we should get moving now, we have lots more to see.” 

Raven put the pictures back. “Let’s try this door.” She pointed to the room’s other door which was in the left side wall and closer to the fireplace than the door they came through. Before he could even respond, she swung open the door and walked through it. 

“After you,” Charles muttered in amusement. 

He moved to grip the wheels of his chair, but something caused him to pause. A crawling sensation made its way up his back and he turned to look behind him. There was nothing there but dust motes floating in the soft sunbeams. Charles chewed at his lip for a moment, then reached down again and gripped his wheels. Once more the crawling sensation crept over him, stronger this time, and his muscles tensed. The room seemed to grow dimmer, as though the curtains were being drawn shut again, and the temperature seemed to drop. He shuddered and began to push his chair toward the door. There was a rustle of cloth behind him and he jerked his head around to look. 

The door creaked loudly and he quickly turned back to it. It was half closed now. 

Charles steeled himself and began pushing his chair towards the door. It swung open and he gasped. 

Raven looked at him in surprise, “What’s taking you so long? I thought you were the one who wanted to continue the tour.” 

Charles shook his head and chuckled, “Right, sorry, let’s go.” 

+++

The rest of the first floor contained the kitchen, a small library, a two-piece washroom and a large dining room. Raven was relieved to note that both the library and the kitchen were mostly devoid of floral motifs, but unfortunately the dining room was covered. The wallpaper had red, blue and purple flowers standing out from a golden background. 

Raven scrunched up her face, “Aunt Mable sure loved her floral wallpaper.” 

“Oh I doubt the decorating was Aunt Mable’s decision.” Charles placed a hand on one of the walls and scrutinized the paper. “I’m guessing whichever Xavier most recently decorated this place tried to preserve the way it had looked when it was first built.” 

Raven made a strangled noise, “Please tell me we’re not doing that.” 

Charles laughed, “Why not? I rather think I like this room.” 

“It’s gold, and red, and purple, and it’s making my eyes bleed.” She crossed her arms and glared at him. 

That just made Charles laugh harder, tears welling in his eyes as he struggled to force words past his laughter. “I’ve got to...I’m keeping...just the look on your face...” 

His sister started laughing too, “OK, stop, no. It’s not that funny...” 

Mr. Pryde poked his head in the room, looking confused. “What’s got you two in hysterics?” 

“Raven’s been telling me how much she loves the wallpaper.” 

Mr. Pryde glanced between the two of them and laughed, “Yeah somehow I doubt that.” 

“See Charles?” Raven gestured towards the contractor, “He thinks it’s ugly too. And this kind of thing is his job, so he knows.” 

Mr. Pryde chuckled, “That I do, but I actually came in to ask if you’d need any help getting to the second floor.” 

“Oh right,” Charles felt a bit embarrassed. He’d forgotten that the workmen probably didn’t want to stay too late on the Friday night of Labor Day weekend. “Some help would be appreciated.” 

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, Mr. Ross was waiting for them. Charles hadn’t noticed before what a big man he was, easily standing over six feet and built like a house. He gave Charles a reassuring smile then turned to Mr. Pryde, “He’s not a big guy; I could just carry him if you wanna bring up the chair.” 

Charles tried not to bristle. He knew the man was only trying to help, but he hated the feeling of being left out of decisions about his own body. Raven frowned slightly, knowing his feelings on the matter but he gave a small shake of his head before she could say anything. 

Mr. Pryde looked at him, “Is that alright with you Mr. Xavier?” 

Charles didn’t want to seem ungrateful, so he nodded, “Yes that would be fine.” 

Mr. Ross reached down, tucked the lap blanket more firmly around Charles and lifted him out of the wheelchair bridal style. Thankfully they were up the stairs quickly and Charles was settled back into his chair once they reached the top of the steps. The set-up was similar to the downstairs, with the staircase acting as the center point of the two wings of the house. 

“This has three guest bedrooms, the master bedroom, an office and a four-piece washroom.” Mr. Ross pointed to the left, “The guest bedrooms are that way, while the master bedroom, washroom and office are down the right side. There’s also a fourth door that way, the entrance to the attic, but it’s locked.” 

Mr. Pryde looked to Charles, “We can have a locksmith come in on Tuesday, if you’d like.” 

Charles thought for a moment then shook his head, “I’m not too concerned about the attic myself, for the time being. With school starting, I probably won’t have much time during the week to drop by the place, so I’ll leave that decision up to you.” 

Mr. Pryde nodded then led them on the tour of the upper floor. They went left to look at the guest bedrooms. Raven opened the first door, peaked in and immediately shut the door. Everyone looked at her curiously and she made a face. “It’s covered in pink flowers.” She looked seriously at Charles, “I mean it, they are _everywhere_.” 

He laughed, “So you’re not picking that one?” 

She glared and moved to the next door, this time actually stepping into the room. Charles followed behind her. This room was quite large, the walls covered in cream coloured wallpaper with yellow and gold flowers and rich green leaves. Raven turned to him with a shrug, “Still flowery, but it’s the best wallpaper we’ve seen so far.” 

The last of the guestrooms was on the other side of the hall and much like the first room, didn’t meet Raven’s approval. She closed the door with a shake of her head. This time Charles just rolled his eyes and pushed past her to look. The room was smaller than the second one and the wallpaper was very pale lavender with darker purple flower designs. 

Charles grinned at her, “So I take it you’ll want the second guestroom?” 

“Depends how nice the master bedroom is,” she gave him a cheeky smile before heading to the other hallway. 

Charles sighed dramatically and followed after her. The first room Raven entered was the washroom, which was one of the biggest she’d ever seen. It had a large bathtub and shower piece on one side, a powder room style sitting area in the middle and at the far side was an elegant sink and toilet. A large wardrobe sat in the powder room area as did a little table and chair. The walls were a soft cream colour with dark wood trim. 

“No, Raven, you can’t move into the bathroom.” He chuckled as she sulked out of the room. 

The next room was the office, which had wood panelling combined with the wallpaper they’d seen in the second bedroom. It was dominated by an impressive desk with a large wingback chair behind it. The office had a far more lived in feel than any of the guest bedrooms had, the furniture and floor rug looking somewhat worn. 

The office didn’t hold Raven’s attention for long, “OK last one up is the master bedroom!” 

Perhaps because it was the final room, Raven actually waited for Charles to catch up before opening the door and flicking on the lights. The master bedroom was, unsurprisingly, the largest of the second floor rooms. The wallpaper consisted of rich blue flowers on a lighter blue background. To the left was a four poster bed with thick navy blue drapes around it, a night stand on the far side and a large wardrobe nearer to the door. To the right was a fireplace, and opposite the door were the windows. In front of the fireplace was a rug with two large wingback chairs on it and a small table between them. 

Charles couldn’t help a small cry of delight when he noticed what was on the small table, “Look Raven, it’s a chess set!” He hurried over to it, “Why, it looks like the players stopped in the middle of their game.” 

“Uh huh... Hey, I know you can’t see this, but the wallpaper really brings out your eyes,” Raven sighed when he didn’t respond and decided to humour him, “OK, who’s winning?” 

Charles stroked his chin in thought, “It appears to be black, though it’s certainly a close game.” He studied the board a few moments longer then moved one of the white pieces. “That should even things out.” 

Raven rolled her eyes, “Come on Charles, we need to talk with the others about the renovations before they get bored and abandon us here.” She walked out of the room. 

“OK in a moment!” He continued to study the board, “Hmm wait...maybe I should’ve moved this piece instead.” As Charles reached for the piece, he felt the crawling sensation return. He pulled his hand away nervously and glanced around. While he knew it was ridiculous, he found himself softly whispering an apology, “I’m sorry, I...didn’t mean to cheat.” 

Charles pushed his chair away from the board but found he couldn’t go far, as one of his wheels somehow got caught on the edge of the rug. He bent over to get a better look then froze as he heard the door creak shut. The young teacher sat up sharply, eyes and ears trained for any sound or sign of movement. The feeling of another presence in the room, hovering close to him, was nearly overwhelming. In a sudden fit of defiance he moved back to the table and stubbornly switched the two white pieces. 

A deep, soft chuckle met his ears, too close, far too close. For several long moments he stayed stuck in place, heart racing. 

The door rattled and Charles jumped. Raven opened it with a frown, “You’re not still playing chess, are you?” 

Charles shook his head quickly, “No, sorry, I’m actually having a bit of difficulty getting my chair over the edge of this rug. I think the tassels keep getting caught.” 

The annoyance swiftly left Raven’s face and she hurried over, “I’m so sorry Charles! Here let me help you.” She lifted the front of the wheelchair a bit and pulled it forward, clearing the wheels of the rug’s edge. She gave him a concerned look, “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you.” 

Charles smiled warmly, “Don’t worry about it Raven. I can hardly blame you for thinking I was sneaking away to play chess.” 

She chuckled and hugged him, “OK let’s go.” 

+++

With the help of Mr. Ross and Mr. Pryde, Charles and Raven were back downstairs quickly. The other two men were waiting in the kitchen, and the next hour or so was spent discussing the condition of the plumbing, electricity and structure of the house. Charles was pleased to note that the majority was in good condition and only a few minor repairs were necessary. 

“Now, I think the best news we have for you is the dumbwaiter.” Mr. Pryde pointed to a small door several feet from the kitchen’s main door. “The structure is already in place, so all we need to do is make the door a little taller, reinforce the carrying car and add an electric motor...You’ll have a perfect little one person elevator!” 

Charles smiled, “That is wonderful news!” 

Mr. Pryde nodded, “All told, I think we’ll be able to have this place comfortable for you in a month, maybe even a little less.” He added with a chuckle, “That’s not including any wallpaper removal though.” 

With a laugh, everyone headed out of the kitchen, ready to leave. Mr. Pryde and the other men went out the front door first, followed by Raven and Charles coming out last. He took one final look inside, that feeling he was being watched growing more urgent, before he closed the door firmly and locked it. He went down the ramp and joined the others in front of the house. 

Charles held the keys out to Mr. Pryde, “I’m not sure if I’ll be able to meet you before my classes start on Tuesday, so it may be best if I give you these now.” 

“Of course,” Mr. Pryde took the keys and slipped them into his pocket, “Enjoy the long weekend, Mr. Xavier, Miss Xavier.” 

“Thanks to all of you, enjoy the holiday.” Charles and Raven waved as the others slipped into their cars. Charles was a bit surprised to notice that Darwin was waiting in his cab. Charles headed over, “Darwin, my friend, have you been waiting all this time?” 

Darwin laughed and opened his door, stepping out to meet them, “Don’t worry, I brought a book.” He held it up with a grin then gestured to the house, “So how do you like the place?” 

Raven opened her mouth, but Charles cut her off, “Don’t get her started on the wallpaper. _Please_ don’t.” 

Darwin laughed as he opened the cab door for Charles. Once he was seated comfortably in the backseat, Darwin took the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Raven flopped into the cab on her side. She smiled at Charles, “Do you think we should head to Logan’s now?” 

Charles glanced at his watch, “We should probably drop by the liquor store first, like Logan suggested.” 

Darwin slipped back into the cab, “So where to next?” 

Raven grinned, “We need to go to the Liquor store, then 33 Kingston Road.” 

Darwin nodded, “Not a problem.” He turned the cab around and started down the driveway. 

Charles looked out the back window as they drove away. The feeling of being watched didn’t leave him until the house was once more swallowed by trees. 


	4. Making Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to those who reviewed and left kudos!! I’m trying to stick to characters that are in the Marvel Universe to keep OCs minimal, so some of the timelines may be a bit off.

Logan’s home was at the opposite end of Knotlimb, at the western most edges of town. As Darwin parked in the driveway at Logan’s house, the sounds of talking and laughter reached their ears. Darwin got out of the cab, “Sounds like the party’s in the back.”

Charles opened his door, ready for his wheelchair. Raven slipped out her door but then poked her head back in, glancing at Charles’ briefcase, “Maybe you should ask Darwin to drop that off at the inn. You wouldn’t want to forget it.”

Her brother shook his head, “I think I’ve inconvenienced the poor man enough today.”

Before Raven could respond, they heard Darwin chuckle, “It’s not a problem at all, Mr. Xavier. I have to pass by the inn on my way back, anyways.” He placed the wheelchair in front of Charles, “I didn’t mean to listen in but...”

Charles smiled, a little embarrassed, “If you’re sure it’s not any trouble...Perhaps just leave it at the front desk? I’m sure whoever’s there won’t mind hanging onto it until I return.”

Darwin nodded, “Sure thing.” He held the cab door steady as Charles climbed into the chair. “Now do you cats know how you’ll be getting home?”

“Don’t worry, Darwin, I’ll get ‘em home safe.” Logan was walking towards them, beer in hand. The rather incredulous look on Darwin’s face made both Charles and Raven laugh. Logan smirked, “OK, I know you’ve driven me home from the bar a time or two, Darwin...Quit looking at me like that I’m serious...” Darwin crossed his arms and continued to look pointedly at Logan, which made the older man chuckle. “Alright, alright, I won’t try to drive them home. If no one’s able to drive them safely, they can stay over.”

Darwin looked at Charles and Raven, “That alright with you?”

The siblings shared a look and Raven shrugged. Charles smiled, “Yes that will be fine, thank you.” Charles pulled out his wallet and handed Darwin several bills. “Thank you for all your help today, my friend.”

Darwin smiled, “It’s my pleasure, Mr. Xavier.” He got into his cab and waved; “Now you folks have fun!”

They waved back as he drove off. Logan turned to look at Charles for a long moment then shook his head, “Honestly, Chuck, you wore your suit to a barbeque?”

Charles looked down, realizing how over-dressed he was, “Truthfully, I was so focused on not being late, it didn’t occur to me to change.”

Logan rolled his eyes and held out his hand, “Give me your jacket and tie. I don’t wanna feel like I’m at work in my own backyard.”

Charles laughed and shook his head, but he took his jacket and tie off, handing them to Logan. He was so used to people tip-toeing around him that Logan’s gruffness was actually refreshing. “Satisfied?”

The tall man gave him a considering look then grinned, “No, but hopefully you’ll spill something on yourself.”

With that, Logan turned and led them along the side of the house to the backyard. Luckily for Charles, the patio was made of the same stone tiles as the path from the driveway, so there were no steps for him to worry about. There was a large table in the middle of the patio where Emma and Hank sat with two other women and a man.

Logan gestured toward the man, “Get ‘em some beers.”

The man rolled his eyes, “You can at least introduce us first, Logan.” Logan simply shrugged and turned his attention to the barbeque. The man sighed and stood up, walking around the table and holding out his hand to Charles, “I’m Steve Rogers. It’s nice to meet you Mr...?”

Logan cut in, “You’re at a barbeque Steve, not a meeting with the Queen. There’ll be no misters or misses in my backyard.”

Before Steve could respond, Charles took his hand and gave it a friendly shake, “I’m Charles Xavier; it’s very nice to meet you Mr. Rogers.” Charles let go and gestured grandly toward Raven, “This is my sister, Lady Raven Darkholme Xavier. Kindly refer to us as ‘Your Lordship’ and-“

“Alright, alright, that’s enough out of you, Chuck.” Logan’s attempt to sound gruff was ruined by his struggle to keep a straight face.

Raven ignored Logan and held out her hand to Steve with exaggerated elegance, “It is most pleasant to meet you, Mr. Rogers.”

Steve took her hand and bowed, “Your Ladyship.”

The others laughed, except for Logan who crossed his arms and glared at everyone, “So no one wants barbeque, is that it?”

Charles smiled sweetly up at him and held out the bag from the liquor store, “I’ve brought you a peace offering of beer and good Scotch. Please don’t turn Raven and I out onto the streets.”

Logan took the bag, made a show of looking inside and then nodded, “OK, Chuck and Raven can stay. Steve, get out.”

Steve laughed and held out his hands, “I’ll put those beers in the fridge and get the newcomers some cold ones; will that make you happy?”

Logan passed him the bag, “Get me another beer too and we’ll call it even.”

Steve went into the house with an amused shake of his head, while Logan went back to tending the barbeque. Emma beckoned Raven and Charles over to the table, “Since our gracious host has decided to forego his introduction duties, I’ll take over.” She gestured to the first woman, “This is Peggy Rogers, Steve’s wife,” Emma paused to let them shake hands, “And this is Moira MacTaggert.” They shook hands as well.

Peggy smiled, “This was your first full day in town, wasn’t it? How have you enjoyed it?”

Charles chuckled, “It’s certainly been _full_. Between the trip here yesterday, the tour of the school, my first staff meeting and a visit to the house...it feels as though three or four days have been squeezed into one.”

Raven nodded, “Not to mention the jet lag...but it’s also been pretty exciting.”

Moira gave Raven a sympathetic smile, “Well at least it’s the long weekend, so you have time to rest up before the work week starts.” She paused tilting her head to the side, “Do you have plans for working?”

Raven looked a little surprised. It was hardly expected for a woman to work, but no one at the table seemed to think the question unusual. While Raven had waitressed at Oxford, she hadn’t really thought of what she’d do in Knotlimb. Peggy seemed to notice her confusion, “Moira and I work as nurses at the hospital. It’s how I met Steve. He was wounded on the job.”

“I’m a police officer.” Steve said as he carefully carried out several bottles of beer while balancing a bowl of chips, “but that story wasn’t exactly one of my most glorious cases.”

Peggy smiled brightly, “Oh come on, tell them! It’s amusing!”

By the time Steve had finished telling them about the first time they met, a rather embarrassing story of a case that led him and his partner Tony to a farm in the middle of the night and an impromptu fall into a pigpen which then led to an ER visit, the food was ready. Logan proudly set down an impressive plateful of steaks, while Peggy and Moira brought out salads from the kitchen.

With delicious food and wonderful conversation, the evening seemed to fly by. Charles and Raven told them about their years at Oxford, Logan and Steve told the story of how they met as young soldiers in Korea, Moira and Peggy shared some of their more amusing nursing stories and Emma, Hank and Logan talked about teaching.

It was Hank that first noticed the time, “It’s really late; I should get going. Does anyone need a ride?”

Steve looked at him carefully, “How much did you have to drink?”

Hank blinked, “Oh I didn’t have any beer, just a couple sodas and glasses of water.”

Logan snorted, “Friday nights with Hank get pretty wild.”

The younger man looked about to object when Raven cut in, smiling flirtatiously, “Can you drive Charles and I home, Hank?” 

“Oh, um... yeah, sure...no problem.” He looked away shyly and glanced around the table, “Anyone else?”

“Will you be going past Cranston?” Emma asked. When Hank nodded she smiled, “Then I’d like a ride, too. I live on the south side, number 11.”

Hank glanced to Moira but she waved him off, “I’m not far from here, I can walk.”

Steve looked to her, “Peggy and I are just around the corner; we’ll walk you home.”

When everyone’s arrangements home were figured out, Hank guided his passengers to his car. He unlocked both doors on the driver’s side and held the back one open for Charles, “When you’re inside can you unlock the other doors?”

Charles climbed in, “Not a problem.” He reached across the backseat to unlock the other doors while Hank put his wheelchair in the trunk. To his surprise, Raven climbed into the front seat. She looked over her shoulder and gave him a wink. Understanding dawned on his beer fuzzy mind and he chuckled softly. Emma opened her door and slid in beside him, tilting her head toward the driver’s seat and giving a knowing smile.

When Hank got into the car, he looked a little startled to see Raven smiling next to him, “So um, you two are staying at Green Meadow Inn, right?” Raven nodded. Hank stared at her for a long second before realizing he was staring and turning to look back at Emma, “It's past Cranston so I’ll drop you off first.”

While Raven spent the majority of the drive flirting with the charming but socially awkward Hank, Charles took the chance to get to know Emma better. They were both still a little tipsy, but Charles tried his best to start a conversation, “You regaled us earlier with stories about teaching, but you never mentioned what inspired you to become one.”

Emma shrugged, “I actually tried my hand at acting and modeling in New York but...it didn’t really work out. I decided to return home to Knotlimb. After struggling to figure out what I wanted to do, I heard about an opening at the school. What better way to share my love of Shakespeare and literature than to teach it? I have to admit, I wasn’t actually expecting to like teaching as much as I do. The brats have rather grown on me.” She winked. “What about you? All that schooling at Oxford...it seems strange to move to a small town and teach high school science.”

Charles smiled, “Well, I’m not really abandoning what I’ve learned at Oxford. I do plan to continue my research, but a small town is no worse than a big city for that. Not to mention my field tends to go through rather boring lulls, so having a steadier job will be beneficial. As for why high school science...well, I’m very passionate about science. I hope perhaps I can inspire at least some students to become excited by it as well.”

Emma smiled, “It’s a wonderful feeling to inspire young minds. You really-“

“We’re here,” Hank turned in his seat, “Oh sorry to cut you off, Emma, but...”

“It’s fine Hank, thank you for the ride. Good night everyone,” She stepped out of the car in a swirl of white.

With a final wave, Emma walked up to her front door. Hank waited until she was safely inside before continuing to the inn. It was late enough that there was no one at the front desk, so when Hank offered to carry Charles up the stairs, the smaller man didn’t protest. Raven followed with the wheelchair and once she reached the landing, Charles settled back into it.

“Thank you for the ride home and the help upstairs, Hank.” Charles unlocked the door, and with a knowing smile waved before heading inside.

Before Hank could respond, Raven took hold of his shoulders, “Yeah, thanks for everything, Hank.” She then leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Have a goodnight.”

Hank blushed and smiled, “Oh you’re very welcome...um any...any time. You have a good night, too.”

Raven let go of his shoulders and backed away. He waved, a delighted look still on his face, and hurried down the stairs. At the bottom he turned and gave her a final wave, before heading out. Raven was all smiles as she joined her brother in their room. Charles just laughed and shook his head, “That poor boy doesn’t stand a chance against you.”

A hint of smugness slipped into Raven’s smile, “And how was your conversation with Emma?”

Charles smiled and shook his head, “She is a lovely woman, but I don’t believe for a moment that I’m her type. Now would you like the washroom first or...?” 

Raven lay down on her bed and gestured to the washroom door, “I’ll let you go first even though you’re changing the topic.” She grinned, “But when you come out, I’m asking more questions.”

Though it was tempting to take a long time just to bug Raven, Charles was too tired for games. He hurried through his night time regime and left the washroom...only to find Raven already fast asleep. He chuckled and turned off the light before slipping into his own bed and almost instantly falling asleep.

+++

The weekend was a whirlwind of getting to know the town: doing a little shopping, visiting the library, registering with his aunt’s old church and seeing the sites. By the time it was over, Charles was eager to start work. Hank had offered to drive him to school, and on the way there they discussed classes, curriculum and students.

“So you said your first class is grade 11 biology?” Hank glanced at Charles for confirmation then continued, “OK I’m pretty sure I know most of the students who would go into that class. You shouldn’t have too much trouble with them. Lance Alvers will likely be in your class, but he usually isn’t a troublemaker if Blob and Toad aren’t around.”

“Blob and Toad?” Charles looked at him incredulously.

Hank winced, “Sorry those are Logan’s nicknames for them. Their real names are Fred Dukes and Mortimer Toynbee.”

“Ah, of course,” Charles shook his head in amusement.

“They both flunked out of biology last year, for the second time actually, so they’ll be in your grade 10 class. Alvers flunked grade 10 with them the first time around, but passed it last year. I doubt they’ll cause too many problems though. I think a lot of their acting up is just trying to impress Lance.”

“So as long as they’re split, they’ll behave?”

Hank shrugged, “They’ll probably hang out together during breaks and lunch, but since you have monitor duty with Logan, you’ll be fine.” Hank turned to him with a grin, “They’re _terrified_ of Logan.”

Charles laughed, “Alright, is there anyone else in my first class I should keep an eye on?”

Hank hesitated for a long moment, “Alex Summers. He’s...I don’t think he’s a bad kid, really but...he’s had it kind of rough. Lost his parents in a car accident, got separated from his little brother when they went into foster care, even spent a few months in jail. That’s why he’s a year behind in school.”

Charles sighed, “I take it in a small town like this, pretty much everyone knows his story...Does he have any friends?”

“Sean Cassidy. He came to the school last year. He’s a nice guy, very calm and laid back. I’m not really sure how they became friends, though I heard rumours that Alex helped him with some bullies.”

Charles hummed thoughtfully.

+++

They had arrived early, so Hank could help Charles with any extra prep that might need to be done. At roughly five to nine, the warning bell rang. Hank smiled at Charles, “I better go. I’ll see you at lunch.” He paused at the door, “Good luck!”

Hank was hardly out the door when the students started filtering in, chatting excitedly and finding seats. A few of them glanced curiously at him, but only because he was a new face. His wheelchair was mostly hidden by the desk. Charles waited until the final bell rang before starting. 

“Hello class, I’m-“

He was cut off when a final straggler, a skinny young man with unruly red hair, hurried into the room. The boy looked towards his teacher panting out an apology, “Sorry, sir, sorry.”

Charles raised an eyebrow, “It’s the first day, so I’ll let it slide. Please close the door and take a seat.”

The red head nodded, “Yes, sir, thank you.” He moved to the back of the class and sat next to a surly looking blond boy.

Charles smiled, “As I was saying, I’m your new science teacher, Mr. Xavier. I’ll be teaching you grade 11 Biology. If any of you are also taking grade 11 Chemistry, I’ll be teaching you that as well. To start, I’m going to do roll call. Raise your hand when I get to your name.” He went through all the students’ names, getting a raised hand for each. He took special note that the tardy red head was Sean Cassidy, and his blond friend was Alex Summers. “Good, no one’s absent, so let’s begin. On each of your desks is a hand out with the course outline and the main textbook for this class. Our first unit for this class will be ‘Diversity of Living Things’. Please get out your notebooks and open your text to page 12.”

While the students opened their books, the young teacher took a steadying breath. He would need to write on the board now, which would mean getting out from behind his desk and moving several feet to his left. Having spent most of his life using a wheelchair, Charles was used to people’s reactions, but that didn’t stop a tiny thread of nervousness from winding through him. He forced it down and grabbed his wheels, pushing himself away from the desk to the board. His back was turned, but he could clearly hear several students gasp and whisper. Charles swallowed down his nerves and calmly finished drawing a diagram before turning around to face his class.

“Alright, so I’m sure most of you are familiar with the classifications of living things, so much of this first lesson will likely be review...” When he completed his lecture he asked the students if they had any questions. Almost everyone’s hand shot up.

Charles smirked, “How many of you have a question about the actual lecture?” All of the hands began sinking back down. “Alright you may spend the rest of class working on the questions from pages 14-17. Any unfinished questions will be for homework. I also expect you to do the reading on page 18. If you have any difficulty please don’t hesitate to come to my desk and ask.” Charles rubbed the board clean before returning to his desk.

While the students did their work, Charles double checked his notes for the next class’s lecture. It wasn’t until near the end of class that someone approached him. The teacher looked up to see a rather frustrated looking Alex Summers. The young man put his open textbook on Charles’ desk, but kept his notebook in his hand. He pointed to question four, “I don’t get this Mr. Xavier. In fact, I’m pretty sure I got the first three questions wrong, too.”

Charles gestured to the boy’s notebook, “May I see them?” Alex looked a bit surprised, though Charles wasn’t quite sure why. The student handed the notebook over and Charles looked at his answers carefully, “Hmm alright, you’re actually not as far off as you think you are. You know the terminology...it’s just a matter of application.” Charles turned to a blank page, “I think I can draw you a chart that might help. I’ll explain it as I go along.”

He spent the last few minutes of class carefully drawing and explaining the chart for Alex. The bell rang before he was quite finished, so Charles dismissed the rest of the class. He finished the chart a few moments after the other students left, “Sorry to keep you over time, Alex, but does this help clear things up?”

Charles looked away from the page to his student for the first time since he began his explanation. There was something...off about Alex’s expression and when he spoke his voice sounded a bit gruffer than before. “Yeah, that, that actually helps a lot.” He reached down and carefully picked up his books, “Thanks Mr. Xavier.”

“You’re very welcome, Alex. And if you’re late for your next class, blame me. I’m new, so I shouldn’t get in too much trouble,” Charles tapped the side of his nose, conspiratorially. 

Alex smiled, his eyes bright, “Thanks Mr. Xavier...have, have a good day.”

He was out the door before Charles could say another word.


	5. Accidents and Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains references to a violent car accident involving a young child and past character death.

Charles was eating breakfast with Raven and Hank, who had discovered two weeks prior that arriving early to pick up Charles meant getting a delicious breakfast from Mrs. Grey, when the phone rang. Raven was closest, so she grabbed it, “Hello?”

“Good morning, this is Mr. Carmen Pryde. Is this Miss Xavier?”

“Oh hello, Mr. Pryde, how are you?”

“I’m fine Miss Xavier, thank you. Is your brother home?”

Raven glanced at Charles who checked his watch then nodded. “Yes he is. I’ll pass him the phone, just a moment.”

She handed the phone to Charles, who moved away from the table so Raven and Hank could finish eating. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Pryde. How are things?”

“They’re going quite well, Mr. Xavier. I was wondering if you would be able to drop by the house tonight after you finish work. I’d like your opinion on the progress at the house.”

It had been nearly three weeks since Charles’ first, and only, visit to the house. He was eager to see how the renovations were going. “Yes, that would be wonderful. I believe I could make it by four o’clock or so, would that be alright?”

“That’ll be fine. Talk to you soon.”

“Goodbye.” Charles hung up then looked at Raven, “Mr. Pryde is going to show me the progress on the house; would you like to come along?”

Raven winced, “I’d like to, but I’ve got a shift today at the boutique...”

Charles smiled, “Not a problem. I’m glad your new job is keeping you so busy.”

His sister’s face lit up, “It’s only been a few days, but I already love it. Mrs. Wallace stocks the most gorgeous clothes for the store. There’s this dress that’s all hand beaded on the bodice with this layered satin skirt and...You two are completely lost, aren’t you?”

“A little bit,” Charles said with a chuckle, “but I’m happy to see you’re so enthusiastic about it.”

Hank nodded, “Um and the dress sounds very pretty.”

Raven laughed, “You’re so sweet, Hank.”

He blushed, ducking his head for a moment before turning to her brother, “If you’d like Charles, I can drive you up there after work.”

Charles hesitated, “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you...”

Hank smiled, “Not at all! We can talk about what to do for the science club’s first project.”

Charles’ hesitation immediately disappeared, “That’s right! We need to think of something that will get the students excited to join the club...something very groovy.”

Hank nodded excitedly, “I think I’ve got some ideas you’ll like... Oh, but we better get going.”

Charles grabbed his briefcase, then Raven and Hank helped him down the stairs and outside to Hank’s car. Once Charles was settled inside, he waved to Raven, “Have a good day at work!”

Raven smiled and waved, “You too! See you tonight!”

Hank closed the trunk and slipped into the driver’s seat, “Goodbye, Raven!”

She blew him a kiss, “Bye Hank!”

As they drove away from the inn, Hank couldn’t stop smiling.

+++

The day went by quickly, with Charles spending most of his breaks marking homework so he wouldn’t have to worry about it after school. When the final bell rang and his students cleared out, he headed to Hank’s classroom. The younger teacher was just finishing stuffing papers into his briefcase when Charles arrived.

“Hi, Mr. Xavier! I’ll be right there.” Hank, like most of the teachers aside from Logan, preferred to stay professional by using formal titles at school.

“Take your time, Mr. McCoy.” Charles looked on in amusement as the young man haphazardly wiped the boards.

When Hank finished, he grabbed his things and hurried over to Charles, “All set, let’s go.”

The drive to the house was spent discussing what projects might be exciting enough to get a wide range of students to join the science club. They arrived just as they were brainstorming the pros and cons of a project involving the creation of a flying machine.

“I’m not saying we should build rockets,” Charles pointed out as Hank parked the car, “I’m thinking more along the designs of DaVinci...”

Hank shook his head as he got out of the car, “But those designs wouldn’t be able to work if actually built.”

Charles opened his door so he could keep talking as Hank pulled his wheelchair from the trunk, “True enough, but DaVinci only had flying animals and insects to study flight from. The students can look to man-made inventions for inspiration too.”

Hank set the chair in front of Charles and waited for him to settle into it before responding, “I’m assuming we’re only talking models, right?”

Charles laughed, “I’m not about to shove students out the window to test if their flying machines work.”

As the pair approached the house, Mr. Pryde came out the door and waved, “Hello, Mr. Xavier! I heard the car coming up the driveway.” He gestured towards the front steps, which now had a sturdy, permanent ramp attached to them, “What do you think?”

Charles grinned, “Let’s test it, shall we?” He started pushing himself up the ramp. The slope was gradual enough that Charles had no difficulty getting to the top. “It’s perfect! Even without much chance to exercise this past month, it was still pretty easy to get up.”

The contractor smiled proudly, “If you like that, wait until you see what we’ve done inside.”

“Lead the- “Charles cut himself off, embarrassed. “Sorry. Where are my manners? Mr. Pryde, this is Mr. McCoy, my fellow science teacher at the high school.”

Mr. Pryde shook Hank’s hand, and then turned to open the front door, “Yesterday we finished up the plumbing that needed to be done, and today we finished up the last of the electrical work.” He explained as he led them towards the kitchen, “The major effort has been the carpentry: making sure the windows, doors and roof are all winter-proof, building the ramp and converting the dumbwaiter into an elevator.”

He stood proudly in the kitchen and pointed to the now much larger, but still wooden, dumbwaiter door, “There she is!”

Charles grinned and excitedly moved over to the door. “How does it work?”

Mr. Pryde pointed, “Well this button next to the door will cause the elevator to come down.” He pushed the button and a bell chimed. Mr. Pryde smiled, “That bell tells you the elevator has arrived and it’s safe to open the door.” He grabbed the handle and slid it open. There was a waist high folding metal gate blocking the entrance, “Inside there are four buttons: B, one, two, three and a light switch. Make sure you flick on the light and close the door before you press a button, otherwise you won’t have time to close the door and you’ll be stuck in the dark the whole trip.”

Charles nodded, but then something occurred to him, “Wait, did the dumbwaiter extend all the way from the basement to the attic?”

Mr. Pryde shrugged, “The basement doesn’t really surprise me, since it’d make carrying up preserves and things from the cellar to the kitchen easier, but the attic seems a little odd. I guess at one point whoever lived here needed the extra room. Anyways, the main door to the attic was a pain to open and the place is a mess, but I figured since the infrastructure was already there, we might as well include it.”

Charles looked up at him with an eager smile, “Can I try it?”

The older man nodded, “Go right on in. Though you might want to back up into it, otherwise your back will be to the buttons.”

Charles turned his wheelchair around, backed into the elevator and flicked on the light. He hesitated for a moment before picking a floor, “Well I haven’t seen the attic yet, so let’s try there.”

Mr. Pryde smiled, “We’ll see you upstairs.”

Charles slid the door shut, closed the gate and pushed button three. 

+++

The faint sounds of gears could be heard through the walls, but the elevator moved smoothly. The space was rather tight, only a few inches on either side of him and about a foot overhead. Raven would have to duck and Hank would have to crouch to fit in, even then, only one person could fit at a time. Luckily the trip was short enough that he didn’t feel claustrophobic at all. If anything, he felt freer- no longer dependent on others to deal with stairs. The bell chimed and Charles slid open the door.

The attic was certainly a mess. The area from the staircase, which was closer to the center of the room, to the dumbwaiter was fairly clear, the workmen’s movements having forced the dust in the area to settle elsewhere. Charles looked curiously around the space. The elevator almost looked like someone had built a wooden shed in the back of the attic, only its walls extended to the ceiling instead of having a roof of its own. High up on the wall to the side of the elevator’s corner was a dirty window; a matching window was on the far side of the room. They provided dim light, which illuminated a thick coat of dust on almost everything. Old furniture, boxes and various knick knacks were piled on top of each other and strewn about. The mess made it a bit tricky to maneuver his wheelchair to explore, but after a moment he noticed a path leading to the far side of the attic.

He pushed his chair slowly along the path, carefully looking out for things that might draw his attention. A lovely old globe caught his eye and he reached out to give it a gentle spin, but the movement stirred up some dust and Charles sneezed. Chuckling he shook his head. “I suppose I deserved that.”

A creak behind him caused the young man to jump slightly and he turned his head to look at the top of the stairs. “Mr. Pryde? Hank? Are you there?”

Charles frowned slightly. He’d been so focused on exploring that he hadn’t realized the other two men seemed to be taking too long to reach the attic. Charles strained his ears, but the room was dead quiet. He swallowed, suddenly anxious, and looked more carefully at the clutter surrounding him. The path was a bit too tight to attempt turning around, but Charles noticed it seemed to widen further ahead, so he moved forward. This part of the attic seemed dimmer, yet Charles felt oddly exposed. A crawling sensation he thought he’d forgotten slowly made its way up his back and across his skin. He paused, turning his head to look back over his shoulder. There was nothing there, of course, but he continued to look, biting his lips then licking them out of nervous habit.

After a few more moments of staring into the dimness behind him, he shook his head. The movement didn’t get rid of his growing sense of unease, but he settled back into his seat, grabbed his wheels and pushed forward again. The crawling sensation seemed to evolve as he moved, transforming from a vague discomfort to an absolute certainty that someone was behind him. Charles forced himself to ignore the feeling and keep moving, until he finally reached a space wide enough to turn his wheelchair around.

_CRASH_. The sound of breaking glass tore through the stillness. A startled shout ripped out of Charles’ throat and he twisted himself to look over the back of his chair.

A large box of old dishes and glassware had fallen off one of the rickety shelves behind him, blocking his exit with shattered glass.

Fear gripped him, making him shake so badly that he could barely manage to turn the wheelchair around. A cold sweat broke out on his brow as he stared at the mess. The glass had scattered too far for Charles to attempt moving the box without risking damage to his wheelchair, or worse, reaching too far and falling from his chair onto the jagged shards. The thought of falling onto the glass, picturing his blood pour out as it cut his skin to ribbons, reminded him of a very different accident. He closed his eyes, pressing his fists against the lids, but the painful memories came pouring into his mind.

_A dark, snowy night._

_The sight of headlights barreling towards them._

_Horns blare, tires shriek, a terrified child screams..._

_Glass shatters._

_The world twists and turns around him; his little body helplessly tossed and battered. Blood everywhere and so much pain._

_Broken and bleeding, half crushed by twisted metal, stabbed by glass, he whimpers for his father, but turns his face to see a mangled corpse instead._

Charles struggled to breathe. He wrapped his arms around himself and leaned forward, whispering hoarsely, “Calm down, Charles, stay calm. Just breathe...” But the skin crawling sensation of being watched blended with the phantom pains of long ago, overwhelming him. Nausea churned his belly and his head throbbed. “Get a hold of yourself,” he whispered fiercely, “the others will be here soon. I’m not alone.” That thought wasn’t as comforting as it should’ve been.

Despite his choking, grasping fear, the young teacher slowly but surely got his breathing under control and carefully sat up. He blinked tears from his eyes then shakily ran a hand through his hair.

“Charles!” Hank’s worried voice, followed by the sounds of foots steps pounding up the stairs sent a flood of relief through Charles.

“I’m over here!” He called out, “A box of glass fell off a shelf and I can’t get around it!”

Hank and Mr. Pryde came into view at the other end of the path. The younger man started toward Charles, but the contractor grabbed his arm, “Careful, some of that glass could go right through your shoes.” He looked over at Charles, “Are you alright, Mr. Xavier? Were you hurt?”

“No, no I’m fine, just a bit shaken.” Charles tried to give them a reassuring smile, but neither man looked completely convinced.

Thankfully Mr. Pryde didn’t push, “Alright, if you’re sure. My work boots will protect me from the glass, so I can safely carry you over here to Hank and then grab your chair.”

While Charles didn’t like feeling helpless, the need to escape was stronger, “Thank you.”

Mr. Pryde carefully avoided as much of the glass as he could, “I’ll be sure to sweep this up before I leave today.” He bent down so Charles could put an arm around his shoulders before he lifted the younger man up. 

Charles shook his head as the contractor carried him over the broken glass, “Oh no, it wasn’t your fault, I should clean it up.”

“Too dangerous,” the older man pointed out as he helped Charles into Hank’s arms, “I’ve got protective gloves I can wear.” He went back to get the wheelchair.

Hank look down at his friend, “I’m really sorry, Charles. I distracted Mr. Pryde downstairs with too many questions. We ran as soon as we heard the crash, but the door to the attic was stuck somehow and...”

Charles smiled, “You don’t need to apologize, Hank. I should’ve been more careful.”

Mr. Pryde set the wheelchair down in front of them and Charles slipped into it. The older man shook his head slowly, “I’ll call the locksmith tomorrow and have him replace the attic lock. He’d fixed it awhile ago, but I guess it’s just too old to stay fixed for long.”

Charles nodded, “Thank you.” He looked towards the elevator then to the contractor, “Is there anything on the second floor you’d like to show me or should we meet back in the kitchen?”

The older man thought for a moment, “The main thing I wanted to show you was the elevator. On the second floor it opens up in the hall, just past the master bedroom, near the back of the house. I don’t mind if you want to take a look...”

Charles shook his head, “That’s alright, from what you’ve described I can picture it quite well.”

Mr. Pryde nodded, “Then we’ll see you back in the kitchen.” He walked towards the staircase followed by Hank while Charles made his to the dumbwaiter.

If they hesitated at the top of the stairs until the elevator arrived for Charles, well, given his own still jittery nerves, he could hardly blame them.

+++

“If all goes well in the next couple days, and I’m sure it will, you and your sister should be able to move in this weekend,” Mr. Pryde said confidently.

Charles smiled at him from across the kitchen table, “That’s excellent news.”

“If you can drop by Friday like you did today, I can give you the key...” The contractor trailed off, leaving an alternative to Charles.

“Alright, that should be fine.” Charles held out his hand, “Thank you for everything, Mr. Pryde.”

The older man shook hands with Charles, “You’re most welcome, Mr. Xavier. I’ll see you Friday.” Then he turned and shook hands with Hank, “Nice meeting you, Mr. McCoy.”

Hank smiled, “You too, Mr. Pryde.”

The two science teachers left the kitchen and headed through the house to the front hall. Hank paused and looked around, “You know, this is a really nice place. I don’t think the wallpaper is half as bad as Raven made it out to be.”

“You haven’t seen all the rooms,” Charles replied with a chuckle.

Hank laughed and followed Charles out the door. The air was a bit cooler now, and shadows from the trees seemed to dominate the yard. Charles ignored the growing darkness, instead taking joy in the freedom the ramp provided. He rolled down it quickly, which helped him reach Hank’s car first. The younger man caught the proud smile on Charles’ face and chuckled, “You know if you want to race someone you have to tell them first.”

Charles grinned as he opened the door and hopped into the passenger seat, “Don’t spoil this for me.”

Hank rolled his eyes but kept smiling as he took the wheelchair and put it in the trunk. Charles glanced back up at the house. Something caught his eye and he looked carefully at the attic window, but his concentration was broken when Hank got in the car. He started the engine and turned the car around. Charles took one last look back at the attic window...

And was certain he saw someone staring back.


	6. Moving Day Pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who are curious, the two songs Charles sings to himself are called “Crying” and “Dream Baby” both by Roy Orbison. He was a huge star in the 1960s and is still considered one of the greatest singers to ever live. Here are links if you’d like to listen to the songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSrdWK4t3XY and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4gqxMOhFRM

Lunch on Fridays involved Charles and Logan doing monitor duty, a task that mostly involved wandering the school grounds together and talking. The weather was mild enough still that the students who had stayed at school for lunch had mostly decided to eat outside. Charles was glad; he enjoyed getting the fresh air and exercise. Logan clearly did too.

“So, Hank said something about you finally moving into your house.”

Charles nodded, “I’m picking up the keys at the contractor’s office tonight, though the actual moving in won’t be until tomorrow.”

Logan raised an eyebrow, “Why wait? From what you’ve told me it already has all the furniture and stuff that you’ll need.”

Charles winced, “It does, but the place needs a thorough cleaning first. Everything is covered in dust; the bedding will need to be washed, the floors swept and mopped, all the curtains taken down and beaten, that sort of thing.”

The older teacher gave a gruff sigh, “You’re gonna need help, aren’t you?”

“I wouldn’t want to impose...” He couldn’t help looking up at Logan hopefully.

Logan rolled his eyes, “Alright, alright just stop with the puppy face. You’re probably the only guy who can talk me into doing chores. Especially lady chores like dusting...” He glanced at the younger man again, “Oh for God’s sake, stop looking at me like that, I already said I’d help.”

Charles smiled brilliantly at him, “Thank you, Logan! Both Raven and I will need all the help we can get. Besides, if it makes you feel better, I’m sure there’ll be manly work for you like moving around heavy furniture and such.”

“If you think you’ll need a few extra hands, I can ask some of the others if they can come out. Steve’s a boy scout; he loves this kind of thing.”

“That would be wonderful! Let them know I’ll provide dinner and drinks afterwards.” Charles paused, “There’s no barbeque, but I could get cold cuts and such for sandwiches or perhaps-“

Logan snorted in amusement, “Relax, Chuck, I’m sure sandwiches will be fine. We’ll have to get you a barbeque at some point though; no man with a backyard should be without one.”

Charles was about to respond, but then something caught his eye, “Um Logan, is that John running away waving someone’s trousers?”

Logan whipped around and immediately started barreling towards the student, “JOHN WHAT IN THE NAME OF SAM HILL DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING? AND WHO THE HELL DO THOSE PANTS BELONG TO?!”

Charles tried not to laugh as he watched the student’s face turn from triumphant to terrified.

+++

Saturday morning saw Charles getting up bright and early to prepare for the move. He let Raven sleep a little longer, while he went about his morning routine. When he came out of the washroom, fully bathed and dressed, he was a bit surprised to see Raven already up.

She laughed when she noticed his expression, “I’m excited about moving too, you know.” She picked up a bundle of clothing and headed for the washroom. She paused at the door, “All my bags are packed except my toiletries, so if Hank gets here while I’m still showering, you can tell him it’s OK to bring them to his car.”

“Alright, he said he’d be here by about nine, so you don’t need to rush. I’ll give Mrs. Grey a call and ask for breakfast, anything in particular you’d like? We probably won’t have much time to eat later on.”

Raven shrugged, “Whatever you’re gonna have is fine with me. Maybe ask for extra in case Hank is hungry.”

Charles nodded, “Alright.” He moved to the phone as Raven closed the door. Mrs. Grey was always up at dawn to prepare breakfast for her family and guests, regardless of the day of the week, so Charles knew he wouldn’t be bothering her by calling. 

She answered on the second ring. “Good morning, how may I help you?”

“Good morning, Mrs. Grey, it’s Charles.”

“Oh hello, Charles, it’s the big day, isn’t it? You and your sister will need a big breakfast to start it right.” In the background he thought he heard a muffled _What?_ , but Mrs.Grey continued, “Should I make extra for Mr. McCoy?”

Charles smiled, “If it’s not too much trouble, thank you.”

“Oh it’s no trouble at all, don’t you worry.” With that she hung up, and Charles put the phone back. He looked around the room, deciding what to do next, before remembering that his pyjamas were still in his lap. Folding them neatly, he placed them in one of his suitcases.

He’d barely finished closing the zipper, when there was a knock at the door. He glanced at the clock, only a couple of minutes had gone by, Mrs. Grey couldn’t possibly be finished already and Hank wasn’t due for at least another twenty minutes. Another knock, this time almost angry sounding, and Charles hurried over to the door.

The moment he opened it, he was confronted by a teary eyed Jean. Before he could say a word, she flung her arms around him, “No one told me you were leaving today!”

Overcoming his surprise, he hugged her back, “I’m sorry sweetheart. Please don’t cry. I thought you knew.” Jean had become quite attached to him and Raven over the past few weeks, visiting nearly every day for help with homework or just to chat with them. Sometimes she even brought her friends along, eager to introduce them to her ‘grown-up’ friends.

Now she was bent awkwardly over his wheelchair, face buried against his shoulder. “Who will help me with my homework now? Who will I talk to about my day? Who will tell me jokes when I’m sad?”

Charles could feel her tears soaking through his shirt, “It’ll be alright Jean. Raven and I aren’t moving far, so you can always call us, and I promise we’ll stop by to visit...”

She pulled back a bit, shaking her head, “It’s not the same.”

He nodded sadly, “I know it isn’t, and I’m sorry. But think on the bright side, in a couple years you’ll be going to high school and then you’ll see me all the time.”

The door to the washroom opened, causing them both to look in Raven’s direction. She blinked in surprise for a second before quickly tossing her stuff on the closest bed and hurrying over to them. Raven wrapped her arms around the red haired girl and gave her an affectionate squeeze. “No tears Jeanie, we’ll come visit you, I promise.”

Jean sniffled, “I’m gonna miss the two of you living here...”

Raven used her thumb to gently wipe a few of Jean’s tears away, “We’ll miss you, too, sugar.”

“Jean!” Mrs. Grey called from downstairs, “Where did you go? I need your help in the kitchen.”

The girl pulled away from Raven, “I better go.” She glanced between them, “but I’ll be back to bring breakfast.” With that she hurried downstairs.

Raven closed the door with a shake of her head, “How long was she crying before I came out?”

Charles wiped at his own eyes, “Not long really, but she took me by surprise. I suppose she overheard her mother mention it was our last day when I called about breakfast. I thought her mother would’ve told her already.”

She handed him a tissue, “Don’t you cry or else I’ll cry and I don’t want to be a mess when Hank comes to the door.”

Charles laughed and wiped his face, “Right, sorry.”

Several minutes later there was another knock at the door. Raven glanced at Charles, who seemed to brace himself, before she opened the door. At the sight of Hank, she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding and smiled. “You have no idea how relieved I am it’s you.”

Hank looked at her in confusion, but before he could say anything, she shook her head and pulled him inside. Once the door was safely closed she explained, “Jean, the Greys’ daughter, came by a few minutes ago. Her parents hadn’t told her until this morning that we were leaving today, and she was very upset.”

“Oh, I see,” Hank looked around awkwardly, “Um so, are any of the bags ready to...?”

Charles couldn’t help smiling; Hank didn’t handle emotional moments very well. “We’ve finished packing everything, so whichever bag you want to start with is fine. Also, Mrs. Grey will be bringing up breakfast soon.”

Hank gave a relieved smile, “I was kind of hoping I wouldn’t miss breakfast.”

Raven laughed and handed him a couple suitcases, then picked up a couple herself. “We still might if we don’t start getting these downstairs.”

Hank hurried out the door with Raven close behind, leaving the door open. Charles neatly stacked the rest of the bags close by, and then did a thorough once over of the main room and washroom, just to make sure nothing was forgotten. They came back quickly and grabbed the last of the luggage before hurrying back downstairs.

Moments later Mrs. Grey stood outside the door with a large tray in her hands, “Charles, are you ready for breakfast?”

Charles turned to the door and smiled, “Please come in. They’re just putting the last bit in the car now.” 

She stepped into the room followed by Jean, who was also carrying a tray. Mrs. Grey set down her things and turned to give Jean a serious look, “You finish setting this up, I have to run downstairs to grab the coffee and orange juice.” 

Mrs. Grey hurried out of the room as Jean started taking the plates off the trays. Each plate was stacked with eggs, bacon and hash browns, plus there was a bowl of fresh cut fruit and a basket of hot from the oven biscuits. Charles distracted himself by glancing out the window. He noticed Raven and Hank were heading back inside. 

“Mr. Xavier?” Jean was standing hesitantly by the table. He turned to her and she took a deep breath, “I’m sorry for being so rude earlier. Mother explained to me that it’s been really hard on you living here because of your disability and all the stairs... and that I should be thankful you stayed here at all. You’ve been really nice to me, and it was terribly selfish of me to make you feel guilty about leaving.” 

Charles sighed. He knew Mrs. Grey had meant well by telling her daughter to apologize to him, certainly his own mother would’ve been livid about Jean’s un-lady like behaviour, but he wished the woman hadn’t focused so much on his disability. Jean was fidgeting, nervously waiting for a reply. He smiled reassuringly, “Apology accepted, Jean.” 

A look of relief washed over the girl’s face and she rushed to hug him. Charles chuckled softly and patted her back. Mrs. Grey came in at that moment with the coffee, milk and juice. Jean let go of Charles to help her mother with the rest of the breakfast set-up, just as Raven and Hank walked through the door. 

Raven grinned, “It smells amazing in here!” 

Mrs. Grey smiled, “I certainly hope you enjoy it.” She put a hand on Jean’s shoulder and began ushering her out the door, “Come along, Jean. Let’s leave them to eat in peace.” 

Raven sat down eagerly, “I don’t know what to stuff in my mouth first.” 

Hank grinned, “The trick is to get a bit of everything in one bite.” To demonstrate, he cut open a biscuit then piled an egg, bacon and even some hash browns on top before sandwiching it with the other biscuit half. He picked it up proudly. 

Charles shook his head in amusement, “You’re going to make a mess.” 

“But it’ll be a delicious mess.” Hank said and took a giant bite. 

Raven and Charles both laughed at him, even as they started making biscuit sandwiches of their own. 

+++

Before going to the house they made a quick stop at the grocery store to pick-up food and beer for later. After that, the drive to the house went quickly, which was a relief for Charles, who was stuck in the back seat with his folded wheelchair, the groceries and several bags that hadn’t fit in the trunk. Raven had clearly done some shopping since they’d first arrived in Knotlimb.

Hank pulled into the long driveway, parked and got out of the car. He quickly opened Charles’ door, and helped him pull the wheelchair from the back seat. “When will the others be getting here?”

Charles glanced at his watch, “It’s only 10:30, so we have some time. I wasn’t sure how long it would take us to get here, with the shopping and everything, so I told everyone 11:00 to be safe.” He climbed into his chair then turned to reach back into the car for one of the grocery bags and sat it on his lap. “Might as well get the car unpacked before they arrive.”

Raven opened the other passenger door, and pulled out two more grocery bags. “We should get the food in the fridge before anything else.”

Hank nodded and grabbed the last three grocery bags, balancing them carefully. Charles moved ahead of them, rolling up the ramp easily despite the heavy bag on his lap. He turned to glance at the others as they made their way up the stairs and bit his lip, “I think I lost the key.”

Raven nearly dropped her bags, “You did what?!”

Charles started laughing, “Sorry, sorry, couldn’t help myself.” He held up the key, “It’s right here!”

Raven glared, “That’s not funny.” She turned to Hank, “Quit snickering, you’ll encourage him.”

Her brother unlocked the door and pushed it open, “Here we are!” 

They quickly made their way to the kitchen and put the bags on the table. Despite the dust on the windows sunlight managed to cheerfully fill the kitchen. Hank reached into a bag then paused, “Would it be faster if one of us unpacked the kitchen while the other two finished with the car?” 

Raven shrugged, “Let’s face it, most of the bags out there are mine.” 

Charles laughed, “That’s probably true. Alright, I’ll finish up in here while you two take care of the rest.” 

They hurried out the door while Charles shook his head in amusement. He was well aware that Hank hadn’t suggested splitting up just for the sake of efficiency. Of course, Charles was happy to encourage them when he could. Still smiling, he began unpacking the groceries, focusing on filling the refrigerator first. Since he was alone, and the kitchen felt just a little too quiet, he began to softly sing his favorite song as he worked. 

“ _I was alright/ for awhile/ I could smile for awhile/ then I saw you last night/ you held my hand so tight/as you stopped/ to say hello..._ ” Charles paused, closing the fridge and looking around. He thought he’d heard someone come in. 

Shaking his head, he moved on to the dry goods, grabbing as many cans and jars from the table as he could carry on his lap and depositing them on the counter. He made several more trips, until everything that needed to go in the cupboards was stacked on the countertop. Shifting carefully in his chair to stand on the stumps of his thighs, he reached up and opened a cupboard. Slowly he relaxed enough to start singing again, “ _Oh you wished me well/ you couldn’t tell/ that I’d been/ crying...over you/ crying...over you/and you said so long/ left me standing/ all alone/ alone and crying/ crying/ crying/ crying.../ it’s hard to understand/ but the-_ ”

Charles stopped, body stretched to put a can on one of the higher shelves. His skin had started to crawl, but he forced himself to put the can carefully in place, before lowering his arm and looking over his shoulder. There was no one behind him, but the teacher shivered anyways. After several moments of tense silence, Charles turned back to the food and began hurriedly stuffing it into the cupboards. The urge to sing had completely abandoned him; his only desire now was to finish as soon as possible, so he could join the others. 

It took him a moment to realize the ridiculousness of that thought. This place was his _home_ now. He had to get used to its creepy quirks eventually. 

The last thought made him chuckle. Feeling emboldened, Charles glanced about the room and squared his shoulders defiantly. He grabbed a box of oats and began singing a more uplifting song, “ _Sweet dream baby/ sweet dream baby/ sweet dream baby/ how long must I dream/ dream baby got me singin’ sweet dreams/ the whole day through/ dream baby got me singin’ sweet dreams/ night time too/ I love you and I’m dreamin’ of you/ but that won’t do..._ ” Feeling triumphant he put the final package away, “ _Dream baby make me stop my dreamin’/ you can make my dreams come true..._ ”

Satisfied with his work, Charles closed the cupboards then sat down properly in his wheelchair. The feeling of someone else in the room was still there; still made his skin crawl, but this time he refused to cave in to his fears. Instead he held his head high as he made his way out of the kitchen. 

If a voice seemed to whisper _dreams come true_ in his ear as he moved through the doorway, well, that was just because the song was caught in his head... 

But the gentle caress to his cheek that came with it was harder to explain. 


	7. Cleaning House

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for reviewing! For those keeping track, this chapter is the start of some of the really big changes to the original version. Also, just a reminder, this story features horror elements and early 1960s values.

As Charles moved towards the main hall, someone started knocking at the front door. Raven and Hank were upstairs; he could distantly hear their voices, so he hurried over to open the door. Steve, Peggy and Emma were standing on the other side. 

Charles smiled, “Oh good morning! Please do come in. Raven and Hank are just upstairs finishing the unpacking. Can I offer you anything before we get started?”

Steve shook his head, “Not for me thanks. Peggy and I had a big breakfast this morning so we’d be ready. Emma?”

She shook her head too, “I’m fine thanks.” 

Steve turned back to Charles, “I wasn’t sure what you’d need, so I brought a lawnmower, a rake, and some bags for the yard. I also brought a ladder in case we needed to clear out the eaves troughs. It’s getting to be that time of year.” 

Charles looked a bit surprised, “Oh my, to be honest, I hadn’t actually thought of the yard.”

Steve pointed his thumb over his shoulder, “Well if your backyard is half as big as the front-“

“Oh no, no, no,” Charles cut him off with a laugh, “Don’t worry about it. The backyard is more like an orchard than a yard, filled with apple and pear trees. Trying to mow it would take all day.”

The blond man looked a bit relieved, “Right, so we’ll only worry about the front yard for now. I’ll get started on that, unless there’s something else you needed me to do first?” 

“That would be wonderful, thank you, Steve,” Charles was touched by his friend’s eagerness to help. 

Steve gave a little salute and headed back out the door. Peggy turned to Charles, “So where are the cleaning supplies?” 

“Ah yes, there’s a utility closet by the kitchen. Follow me and-“

Raven’s voice called from the top of the stairs, “Peggy, Emma! I thought I heard your voices.” She hurried down the steps, followed by Hank. “Where are Steve and Logan?” 

Peggy gestured to the door, “Steve’s outside working on the yard, and Logan hasn’t arrived yet. He’ll likely want to help Steve outside when he gets here. Logan’s an outdoorsy man.” 

Raven shrugged, “That’s fine; I think we’ve got enough people in here for now. What do you think, Charles, grab the supplies then clean room by room? It’ll probably be best for everyone to work on one room at a time, at least for the big rooms.” 

Charles nodded and headed toward the supply closet, everyone following him. “Let’s start with the sitting room and we can move from there.” 

Luckily, the closet was well-stocked with plenty of clean rags, sponges, dusters, cleansers and polishes. There were even two brooms, though only one vacuum, so turns would need to be taken. They brought the supplies to the sitting room. 

Peggy looked around, “It really is a lovely home...” She turned her head and winced slightly, “Though I can’t say I’m a fan of those curtains.” 

Raven’s face lit up, “That reminds me!” She dragged a chair next to the windows and stepped onto it, “Hank could you help me with these?” Hank hurried over just in time to catch one of the curtains as Raven eagerly started pulling it from the rod. 

“She bought new curtains yesterday,” Charles explained in amusement, “She said she couldn’t move into the house if those ones were still up.” 

Peggy nodded in understanding, “Well, I can’t say I blame her, but they do look to be in good condition. Perhaps you should donate them to the church, I’m sure they could find someone who might need them.” 

Raven looked at her in horror, “I can’t inflict these on some innocent church goer! What kind of horrible person do you take me for?” 

Charles laughed, taking a duster and starting on the coffee table. “One man’s junk is another’s treasure, you know.” 

Raven scrunched her nose and shook her head, “I’ll donate these to the church, but when I get laughed at for thinking anyone would want them I’m blaming you.” 

Emma cut in, “Bleach. This whole place needs to be bleached from top to bottom. I am truly amazed by the sheer amount of hideous floral patterns.

Charles looked up from the photograph he was dusting, “So I take it you’re not going to pull a Scarlet O’Hara and make a dress out of the curtains?”

Emma sent him a mortified look. Peggy laughed, “Haven’t you noticed Charles? Emma _always_ wears white. I mean look at her- she’s wearing a white sundress to clean the house!” 

The blond woman sniffed and turned up her head, “Just because one might get dirty doesn’t mean they should ignore style. And for the record, I’d walk through Knotlimb naked as the day I was born before I’d wear those awful curtains.” Suddenly, Raven dropped the final curtain on Hank’s head. She started laughing, “Look, he’s the worst dressed ghost of all time!” 

Emma and Peggy looked up, starting to laugh, but for some reason, the joke didn’t sit well with Charles. Hank immediately tossed the curtain off his head and started sneezing, “Raven, that thing is covered in dust.” 

She bit her lip apologetically, “Sorry, Hank, I couldn’t resist!” 

+++

After nearly three hours of cleaning, they’d managed to finish most of the ground floor. Charles invited them all to the kitchen for a break then went outside to call Steve and Logan. He was a bit surprised when he couldn’t see them from the front porch. Feeling puzzled, he went down the ramp and started along the path that led to the backyard. At the side of the house, he noticed a ladder. 

“Up here, Chuck!” Logan’s voice called down to him. 

Charles looked up to see Logan and Steve cleaning debris from the eaves troughs. “I was just going to call you in for a break. There are drinks and snacks in the kitchen.” 

Steve smiled, “That would be great! Um, but we’ll need someone to hold the ladder, since Logan decided to climb up here instead of spot me like he was supposed to.” 

Charles laughed, “Alright, I can spot you.” He rolled up to the ladder, put on his breaks and gripped the sides of the ladder tight. “All set?” 

“Well, actually, Charles...” The look of hesitation on Steve’s face stung more than it had any right to. After all, Steve was being extremely kind to help with the house...but it still made Charles feel bad that Steve would think he’d offer to hold the ladder if he didn’t know for sure he could do it. Charles would never put his friends’ safety at risk. 

Logan caught the hurt look on Charles’ face, and subtly shot a glare at Steve. “Man-up, Rogers.” He grabbed the top of the ladder, “Ready Chuck?” 

Charles immediately focused, “Ready.” He put as much confidence in that word as he could. 

Logan climbed down the towering ladder calmly, until he was safely on the ground. Charles glanced at him, expecting the larger man to take over ladder duties, but Logan shook his head. Instead he pulled out a cigar, lit it, took a deep puff and yelled, “Now quit being a pussy, Rogers, and get your ass down here!” 

Charles winced and looked up at Steve apologetically. To his surprise, instead of looking angry, Steve looked thoughtful. The blond noticed him watching and smiled, “Ready when you are.” 

Charles positioned himself and gripped the ladder, “Got it.” 

Steve climbed down the ladder every bit as confidently as Logan had. “Sorry for taking so long, hopefully the others left some food for us.” 

They headed back to the kitchen, where the others were snacking on chips, vegetables and dip while Raven made sandwiches. Charles went to the fridge and grabbed sodas for Steve and Logan, “Here you are.” 

Steve took his with a smile, but Logan stared at his suspiciously, “That’s not a beer.”

Charles rolled his eyes, “If you’re planning on getting back on the roof, I’m not going to give you a beer. It’s too dangerous. You can have all the beer you like later on.”

Logan smirked and took the pop, “I’m holding you to that, Chuck.” 

+++

Cleaning the second floor was faster work than the main floor, since half the rooms were sparsely furnished guest rooms. It did, however, involve more laundry, since the bedding had to be stripped and washed to get rid of the dust. Hank had come up with the rather ingenious idea of filling Charles’ elevator with the laundry and sending it to the basement, where Emma and Peggy could unload it into the washing machine. 

“That’s the last of it,” Charles pushed the button to send the load downstairs. “Perhaps we should head outside to set up some laundry lines. The posts are already there, and I saw clothesline string in the utility closet downstairs...” 

Hank gestured to the elevator, “We’ll need to give the ladies some time to finish emptying your elevator before you can use it.” 

Charles laughed, “Right, of course. I’ve already gotten so used to it. Perhaps you and Raven would like to set the lines up. There’s only really my room left to clean anyways, so I can do that while I wait...” 

Raven nodded, “OK sounds like a plan. Call us if you need us!” 

His sister headed out, Hank close at her heels. Charles couldn’t help chuckling; the poor fellow was clearly smitten. He decided to start his dusting with the furniture near the bed and then work his way over to the fireplace. First the nightstand and the lamp on top of it, then the dresser- the ornately carved wood of the furniture made it trickier to dust and polish than he’d expected- the posts of the bed- this time tricky because he couldn’t reach the tops- perhaps he shouldn’t have sent Hank away after all. With that area as finished as best as he could make it, Charles headed over to the fireplace. 

The curtains had been taken down to be laundered, so the afternoon sun shone brightly through the window. It seemed to guide his path directly to the chess table. Charles looked down at the board and frowned. He hadn’t noticed before but, unlike the rest of the furniture in the room, the chessboard and table weren’t dusty. The young man shrugged; perhaps one of the workmen had gotten bored and played with it.

For a long moment he stared at the board as if he was compelled to continue the game. The room grew darker and cooler, the sounds of the others faded away...yet he didn’t feel alone. No. The tension in his shoulders, the twist in his belly, the goose bumps on his arms...all were reactions to the overwhelming feeling of being watched...of another presence in the room. _Move a piece_. Charles slowly raised his hand, reaching out for a white knight...

But before he could touch the piece, loud footsteps broke him out of his strange trance. Looking up, he watched Logan come through the door with a pile of wood in his arms.

“Chopped some logs for your fireplace Chuck,” Logan’s voice came out steady, as though carrying all that firewood was easy. Perhaps for him it was, the muscles in his arms and shoulders were _massive_...and bare. He’d taken off his usual plaid shirt and left only his white tank top on. It left little to the imagination.

Charles shook his head, realizing he should probably say something, “Oh thank you Logan, there’s a spot for wood over here.” He gestured to the far side of the fireplace.

As Logan moved to put the wood down Charles tried to focus on dusting the mantel. It was ridiculous to feel so flustered by another man. Of course, Logan _had_ startled him from his strange dream...it was only natural that he’d feel a bit out of sorts still.

One of the photos was swiped from under his nose. Charles turned to see Logan scrutinizing it. “This can’t be your high school grad photo, you look about twelve.”

The younger man laughed, “Believe it or not, that’s my _college_ graduation photo.” 

Logan’s eyebrows shot up, “You’ve kidding me...”

“I entered Bard College when I was sixteen and received my bachelor’s in biology within two years, so I was still high school age when I graduated.” He chuckled, “Not only was I younger than all the other students, I was a rather _baby-faced_ lad on top of it. I can’t tell you how often I was mistaken for someone’s little brother.” 

Logan put the photo back on the mantel, “Was it tough?” 

Charles shrugged, keeping his focus on wiping the mantel. It would be flawless if he kept this up, “Sometimes. Most people weren’t quite sure what to make of me, this too young boy in a wheelchair. On top of that, it was difficult to get around campus...” He shook his head with a smile, “But I did end up making friends who helped me around, I lived off campus with Raven and my mother, and it prepared me for Oxford, so overall it was a good experience.” 

Logan’s big hand squeezed his shoulder, “You’re something else, Chuck.” 

The younger man was surprised by the warmth and sincerity in his normally abrasive friend’s eyes. He suddenly felt modest, almost shy. He ducked his head, “Well, it’s not...I mean...thank you...but...” 

_CRASH!_

Both of them jumped up and looked sharply in the direction of the noise. One of the large portraits on the wall by the door had fallen to the ground. Logan recovered from his shock quickly and headed over to it. He reached down to grab the frame.

Recovering from his own shock Charles called out, “Do be careful of the glass, Logan.” 

“Relax, Chuck.” He tried lifting the frame by the corner, but it fell apart further. “Huh, that fall got it good.” 

Hank rushed through the door, “I thought I heard a crash, are you both OK?” 

“We’re fine, Hank. A picture fell off the wall, that’s all.” Charles gestured towards it. 

A relieved look crossed Hank’s face, “I guess that incident in the attic left me a little spooked.” He smiled, “While the frame doesn’t look salvageable and the glass certainly isn’t, the picture itself might still be OK. Give me a minute and I’ll grab a pair of work gloves.” The younger man dashed out of the room. 

Logan snorted and muttered, “Work gloves.” He reached down again and carefully pulled the painting free. “This a baby picture of you Chuck?” 

A chill ran up his spine as he gazed at the painted eyes of his younger self, but he kept his voice calm, “Yes, it is.” 

Logan gave it a considering look, “The lace dress is a good look on you.” 

Despite his rattled nerves Charles scoffed, “It’s a traditional Christening gown.” 

Logan grinned, “Call it what ya want, but a lace dress is a lace dress, Chuck.”

”Oh sod off.” 

Logan laughed and Charles felt his own amusement push aside the chill. So a picture of him fell off the wall. Such things happened all the time. It was broad daylight and he was with...well, he was with _Logan_. There was no reason to be afraid.


	8. Strange Happenings

The sun was setting by the time everyone gathered in the sitting room for a well-deserved rest, while Charles and Raven went into the kitchen to make dinner. Charles had only been joking with Logan when he’d said he would only be able to feed everyone sandwiches. During their stay in Oxford, both Charles and Raven had developed a love of British cuisine. They’d brought back quite a few recipes to remember it by. One of the simplest, fastest, and in Charles’ opinion, tastiest, of those was Shepherd’s Pie.

Raven pulled out a pot, filled it with water and set it to boil, “I’ll wash the potatoes if you peel them.”

Charles brought the bag of potatoes over to the sink and dumped them in, “Since you’ll be finished washing before I’m done peeling, could you cut them?”

Raven nodded, turning on the tap and starting to scrub the potatoes. Charles pulled the garbage bin over and began peeling the cleaned potatoes, placing them back on the counter for Raven to cut and put in the pot. When she finished she looked at her brother, “I’m going to ask the others if they want anything to drink. Can you get started on the meat?”

“Not a problem,” Charles went to the fridge as Raven left the kitchen. The moment she was gone, he could feel the _other_ presence in the room. Charles had come to realize that the feeling had likely been with him the entire time he’d been in the house, but it seemed to...step back when others were around. The teacher decided the best way to ignore the feeling was to keep distracted, as he had earlier. He pulled the meat from the refrigerator, set it aside then began chopping onions and carrots. Put the pan on the stove, heat it, brown the meat, toss in the veggies...

It was a meal he could make in his sleep, but the motions were oddly comforting. He took a spoon and poked one of the potatoes. Not quite ready.

The door flew open and Logan sauntered in, “Hey Chuck, the ladies started gabbing, so I’m gonna grab the beers now.”

The younger man smiled, “While you’re at it, can you grab a couple cans of peas from the cupboard?”

Logan rolled his eyes, “Ya just won’t let me have that beer, will ya?”

Charles laughed, “Alright, alright grab your beer first.”

The burly man grabbed four beers out of the fridge and set them on the counter. He popped one open and handed it to Charles before opening another one for himself and taking a swig. “Ah that’s better.”

“Ready to get those cans of peas for me now?” Charles couldn’t quite hide the amusement in his voice.

Logan snorted, “You’re one cheeky little bastard Xavier.” 

Charles’ smile widened, “They’re in the upper left-hand cupboard, closer to the fridge.”

The older man stomped over to the cupboard with exaggerated annoyance, pulled out a couple cans and handed them over, “Here’s your peas ya bloody nag.”

_BANG_

Both men jumped at the sound and turned to look at the cupboard. Its door had slammed shut. Logan shook his head then calmly went back to the cupboard, opening its door and inspecting the hinges. “Huh, that’s weird...doesn’t look loose...” He smirked, “Maybe this place is haunted after all.”

He turned back to Charles, but the look on the younger man’s face immediately wiped the smirk off Logan’s own. “You OK, Chuck?”

Charles shook his head and laughed nervously, “Yes, sorry, I’m fine. It just startled me.” He looked down at the floor, realizing he’d dropped his spoon. He bent down, picking it up and tossing it in the sink, “Would you mind handing me a new spoon?”

For once, Logan didn’t make a snarky comment. He simply handed Charles a spoon and pretended not to notice how the smaller man’s hand shook as it stirred the meat. Feeling useless, Logan turned back to the cutlery drawer and pulled out a can opener. He started opening one of the cans of peas, “Where do you keep your pots? I’ll-“

He was cut off by Raven entering the room, “Sorry I took so long! Don’t worry about that Logan; I’ll take care of it.” She took the can and the can opener from his hands, “But could you bring out the beers for the guys? Oh and there’s a bottle of wine in the fridge for the ladies, could you grab that too? I’ll be right behind you with the glasses.” 

Logan shook his head and went to the fridge, muttering, “And I thought your brother was bossy...”

Raven’s indignant, “Hey!” and Charles’ soft chuckle made the effort worth it.

+++

Dinner was served in the dining room, not to be fancy, but because the dining room table had more chairs. Raven set the food on the table and everyone helped themselves. Once each plate was full, Charles held up his beer in a toast. “Thank you all for the help today. I don’t know what Raven and I would’ve done without it.”

Raven held up her glass, “I would’ve cried.”

Everyone laughed and dug into their meals. After her first bite, Peggy turned eagerly to Raven, “This is delicious! I really love the gravy; would you mind sharing the recipe?”

Emma turned to Raven as well, “I’d love to have the recipe, too.”

Raven smiled, “Actually, Charles did most of the work. I just did the potatoes.” She rolled her eyes when Charles cleared his throat, “Alright, Charles peeled the potatoes, but I did the washing, cutting and mashing. Oh and I also put on the peas.”

Logan piped up, “I opened the first can of peas.”

Before Raven could do more than shoot Logan a glare, Charles cut in, “Dinner was a group effort.” He smiled at Peggy and Emma, “I’d be happy to give you both the recipe.”

“You’ll have to come for dinner again to try his roast chicken and stuffing,” Raven added, “It’s amazing.”

Logan grinned and clapped Charles on the back, “You’re gonna make a wonderful wife some day, Chuck.”

Charles rolled his eyes but before he could make a comeback, Steve cut in, “Don’t get your hopes up Logan, he’s too classy for you.”

”Yes, he even remembered to wear his shirt to the dinner table,” Emma sniffed, giving Logan’s tank top a disapproving look.

Logan grinned, “Don’t act like ya don’t love the view darlin’.”

”It’s not the view; it’s the smell.” The blond delicately turned up her nose. 

The others laughed as Logan clearly struggled for a comeback. He finally huffed, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair, “Alright, no one can say I don’t know when to fold ‘em.” He pointed at Emma, “But don’t act like you won that on your own, Steve set it up for you.”

Steve shook his head, “I concede the win to Emma Frost. The look on your face after that zinger of hers made my day.”

Logan opened his mouth, closed it, then nodded in agreement, “That’s probably true.”

Raven stood up, “We have apple pie for dessert. Sadly, it’s not one of Charles’ homemade pies, but it was highly recommended to me. Does anyone want coffee or tea to go with it?”

After everyone told Raven their requests, Peggy and Emma helped her clear off the table and followed her to the kitchen. As soon as they were gone, Logan turned to Charles with a grin, “So, should I give you a frilly apron for Christmas?”

Charles raised an eyebrow, “That depends, would you like a broken nose for Christmas?”

Hank grinned, “I’m pretty sure that’s what Logan gets every year.”

+++

The exhausting day caught up with everyone shortly after dessert. Steve smiled apologetically, “I think we need to head home. If I sit down on a couch I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep.”

Charles and Raven escorted their guests to the door, thanking them again for their help and waving goodbye. When all of the vehicles were out of sight, Charles closed the door. Raven sighed, “Ugh I’m so tired and everything hurts.”

“Well, being the caring and wonderful big brother that I am, I’ll let you take a bath first. It should help you feel better.”

She smiled, “I was hoping you’d say that.” She gave him a hug then headed upstairs.

Charles looked around the empty room feeling suddenly vulnerable. No longer distracted by his friends, he couldn’t help thinking about the strange occurrences from earlier in the day.

_The sense of being watched._

_The feeling of a cold hand touching his face._

_The strange pull of the chessboard._

_The fallen portrait...The slammed cupboard._

Shaking his head and taking a deep breath, he headed to the kitchen, turning off the hall lights on the way. The darkness at his back, and what may lurk in it, caused the hair on his arms to rise. He eagerly got in the elevator and pressed the button for the second floor. Once there, he could hear water running in the washroom; it would be awhile before Raven would be out. Looking around his bedroom, he was almost overwhelmed by the urge to just crawl into bed and hide under the covers. Sighing, he turned away from it and went toward the fireplace instead. If he didn’t bathe before going to bed after such a long day, he’d feel filthy in the morning.

There was a bit of a draft coming from the fireplace. Charles debated starting a fire, but decided against it. The chill of the draft would help him stay awake. Unable to stop himself, he turned his attention to the chessboard. His hand moved of its own accord towards a white piece, but the moment he touched it, a bone-deep chill ran through him. Charles jerked his hand back and stared for a moment. He glanced around the room then shook his head in annoyance, “You are a man of science, Xavier. Act like it.”

Defiantly, he grabbed the piece and moved it forward. The teacher sat back and stared at the black pieces, fully intending to play both sides of the game. However, he must’ve begun to doze off because when his eyes focused again, one of the black pieces had been moved. Charles leaned forward to inspect the piece, not at all remembering when he moved it. Absently, he ran his fingers through his hair and bit his lip, “Odd.”

A soft, amused sound, perhaps a chuckle, brushed against his ear.

Charles sleepily scratched at it.

He heard another chuckle, this time clearer. The exhausted man turned to look in the direction of the sound, but saw nothing. He rubbed his face with both hands then stretched his arms over his head. After a satisfying pop in his left shoulder, he lowered his arms and stared dumbly at the chessboard. Clearly he wasn’t awake enough for chess.

A knock at the door startled him. Turning in his chair he saw Raven poking her head in the room. She looked at the empty bed in confusion before spotting Charles next to the dark fireplace. “I’m all done with the washroom, if you’d like it now.”

Charles blinked and sat up, “Oh yes, thank you, Raven.”

She smiled, “I’m going to bed; have a goodnight.”

“You too. Sleep tight.”

He heard her footsteps pad away. Charles ran his fingers through his hair again, shaking his head. Feeling a bit more awake, he retrieved a pair of pajamas from his dresser and headed to the washroom. A sense of peace breezed through him as he entered and closed the door. It seemed he’d found the one place where the...presence wouldn’t follow him. Charles placed the pajamas on the sink counter then turned on the tap for the bathtub. When he was satisfied with the temperature, he put the plug in the drain. Next he quickly relieved himself, washed his hands and stripped. Since his clothes were dirty from cleaning all day he didn’t bother folding them, instead dumping everything but his belt into the hamper. 

Charles went to the sink and began brushing his teeth. He kept an eye on the tub as he did, making sure it didn’t overflow. When he was done with his teeth, he reached over and turned off the water. Charles pulled himself over the edge of the tub and slipped into the hot water with a groan. Once he was seated comfortably, he fully submerged himself under the water for a few moments, savouring how the heat penetrated deep into his body. He slowly pushed himself to sit up again, inhaling deeply as he broke the surface then moaning softly on the out breath. He tilted his head back and ran both hands through his soaked hair before opening his eyes.

The welcoming heat of the water distracted Charles from noticing that the presence had returned. Oblivious, he reached for a bar of soap and worked up a lather, slowly massaging it into his aching muscles. He groaned and bit his lip as he rubbed a particularly sore spot in his right shoulder. Once his upper body was covered in suds and thoroughly massaged, he sank back into the water to rinse off his skin. When he rose back out, he grabbed the soap again, this time slipping it into the water and between his thighs. He closed his eyes and let his head lull back on the edge of the tub. The corners of his flushed red lips curled into a dreamy smile before gently parting to release a soft, breathy moan.

Icy fingertips caressed against his cheek and he heard a whisper, choked with longing and pain, _Thomas!_

Charles’ eyes snapped open and he sat up, looking around nervously. For a moment he felt that skin crawling gaze on him, but the creepy sensation quickly faded. He swallowed thickly, trying to force his body to relax again. “Just a dream, you idiot,” he muttered, “Get a hold of yourself.”

Unable to enjoy his bath anymore, Charles put the soap away and hurried to shampoo his hair. He pulled the plug from the drain and turned the tap back on to rinse the shampoo out. Finished, he turned it off and pulled himself onto the edge of the tub. Grabbing a towel off the rack, he quickly dried himself and returned to his wheelchair. After putting on his pajamas, he switched off the washroom light and rushed back to his bedroom.

This time when he entered his room, he didn’t hesitate to crawl into bed and hide under the covers.

In fact, he didn’t even turn the lights off.


	9. A Visit In the Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Ableism, fetishization of a disability, attempted rape, violence and horror.
> 
> Stuff gets dark, folks. Comments are appreciated (helps me gauge if I'm going in the right direction).

Eventually, exhaustion won out over fear and Charles, curled up tightly on his side, fell deep into sleep. Were he awake enough to slip an eye open, he would’ve seen the figure of a man appear in one of the chairs by the fireplace. The figure rose from his seat, tall, gaunt and unreal. A _thing_ of shadows, almost transparent, he moved silently across the still brightly lit room towards the sleeping man. The intensity of this apparition’s gaze spoke of a hunger long denied.

Once beside the bed, the figure reached out with grasping, desperate hands...only to stop mere inches from the warm, inviting flesh. The hands hovered for a moment, shaking from the effort of being restrained, then slowly clenched into fists and moved back to the figure’s sides. For a long time the apparition stood, unmoving as a statue, next to the bed. At last the sleeper shifted, uncurling and rolling onto his back with a soft sigh. The new position exposed Charles’ face and neck more fully to the eyes of his watcher. The movement also caused a few locks of hair to slip across the sleeping man’s forehead, which seemed to cause the figure’s hard-won restraint to crumble.

He reached out a hand and gently brushed the hair away from the sleeping man’s forehead. His voice, husky from lack of use, whispered, “ _I have waited so long for this moment, my dearest Thomas..._ ”

Leaning forward, the ghost pressed his cold, dead lips against gloriously warm, living ones.

+++

Charles dreamed he was sitting in the backyard. The sweet smell of ripe apples and pears wafted across his nose as the sun warmed his skin and caused the brightly colored leaves to glow. He pushed the wheels of his chair along the orchard path, looking for a tree with fruit hanging low enough that he might reach it. A brilliant red apple caught his eye, so he hurried over to it. After setting the breaks on his wheelchair, he stood on the stumps of his thighs and reached toward the tempting fruit. A shadow fell over him, but just as he was about to turn to see what it was, the apple seemed to dip towards him. As his fingers caught hold of the fruit, he cried out in triumph, “Aha! I’ve got you now!”

Smiling proudly, Charles plucked the fruit and flopped back into his chair. He polished it against his shirt and gave it one more admiring glance before bringing it towards his mouth for a taste. His eyes closed as he opened his mouth, but before he could take a bite, the apple slipped from his fingers and pressed against his lips. 

It was cold, slimy and... moving...trying to force _something_ into his mouth.

His eyes snapped open in horror, and he desperately yanked the apple away from his lips, tossing it into the trees. He wiped his mouth roughly with the back of his sleeve then looked around. An icy shiver ran up his spine. The warm sunshine was gone, the orchard so filled with shadows that he could hardly see the house from where he sat. The trees seemed to loom over him, the sweet smell of their fruit turning sour and rotten. He gripped his wheels tight, moving back towards the house, but the path was muddier than before, sucking his tires down. Charles began panting with the strain of his efforts, yet when he looked up, the house appeared no closer.

“Do you need a hand, my friend?”

Charles turned to look in the direction of the voice. A tall, lean man stepped out from behind a tree. His face was handsome, with the kind of chiseled good looks women would flock to see at the movies. Yet, there was something about his eyes that seemed almost...predatory. The man tilted his head and Charles realized he was still waiting for a reply. “I...yes, yes I do.” He looked down at the ground. “My wheels keep getting caught in the mud.”

The stranger was suddenly at his side, reaching down to wrap his arms around the smaller man. “Poor dear Thomas,” he purred softly, “You should know I’d carry you anywhere, just to hold you in my arms.”

Flustered by the other man’s inappropriate touching and intimate words, Charles quickly pushed the stranger’s hands away. He eyed him warily, “My name is Charles, not Thomas. You have me mistaken for someone else.”

Something unreadable flickered across the man’s face, but then he smiled gently. “Please forgive me; I had rather hoped you would remember me...but clearly not.” The stranger held out his hand, “I am Erik Lehnsherr. It is a very great pleasure to meet you...again.” A slight smirk twisted his lips on the last word.

Charles hesitated for a moment then shook the stranger’s hand, “Charles Xavier.” After several long moments, the younger man pulled his hand away when he realized the stranger had no intention of letting go. “You seem to believe we’ve met before, but I must admit, I can’t recall.”

Erik Lehnsherr crouched in front of Charles’ wheelchair, “It’s not your fault you can’t remember, my dearest friend. So much has happened since last we knew each other...” He pulled the blanket from Charles’ lap, revealing the pajama clad stumps of his thighs. Charles shifted uncomfortably under the other man’s intense gaze, relieved at least that the pajama bottoms were stitched shut to protect his skin. 

“Please don’t stare,” Charles tried to sound firm, but he couldn’t hide his discomfort. Lehnsherr finally tore his gaze from Charles’ lap and met his eyes. He forced himself to continue, “And I’d like my blanket back, too.”

Instead of handing the blanket back, Lehnsherr frowned and dropped it to the dirt. “You shouldn’t hide them, my dear.” The tall man leaned forward and slid his hands onto Charles’ thighs, stroking and kneading the flesh. “I didn’t think it was possible for you to be more beautiful,” he watched as his hands massaged the muscles beneath them, “but...my God...”

Charles found himself unable to move, except to slowly shake his head in denial, “No. No, not...Why? Why would you...”

The man looked up at him with lust darkened eyes, before lowering himself closer to Charles’ lap. Lehnsherr slowly kissed the very end of Charles’s right thigh, the feel of his cool, damp lips soaking through the cloth. “So lovely,” he murmured, glancing up at Charles before moving to his left thigh, giving it the same careful attention. “So perfect.” Large hands forced Charles’ thighs further apart. “You can never run from me...”

“NO!” Charles finally broke his paralysis and shoved Lehnsherr’s hands away. “Don’t touch me you sick _pervert_!”

The man’s handsome features twisted with rage. He spoke through gritted teeth, “I am _NOT_ a pervert!” He lunged forward, roughly grabbing Charles and throwing him to the ground. The impact knocked the wind from Charles’ lungs, leaving him too breathless to defend himself for a moment. The larger man pinned him on his back, pressing their bodies together and gripping his wrists tightly. “Do not resist me, Thomas.” His voice grew softer, coaxing, “Give in to me, beloved, and I will be sweet to you...”

The stranger tried to place a kiss on Charles’ lips, but the smaller man turned his face away. “You call me _beloved_ , yet you have mocked my crippled legs, thrown me to the ground and forced yourself upon me.” 

“I _never_ mocked your legs.” Lehnsherr hissed, “They are beautiful to me.”

Charles began to struggle, “LIAR! _‘You can never run from me’_ that’s what you said. My legs are ugly, stunted things, but at least I’ll never run away!”

Lehnsherr squeezed Charles’ wrists painfully and growled in frustration, “No! You’re twisting my words, poisoning them!” His face began to change, his cheeks becoming gaunt, his eyes sunken, the warmth of life draining out of him...

“Stop! You’re hurting me!” Charles’ movements became wilder, more desperate. “LET ME GO!”

“NEVER!!!” The _thing_ above him roared. “You’re mine, MINE!” The monster lunged forward to claim Charles’ lips in a rough kiss, the smaller man desperately trying to pull away. When he managed to turn his face from his attacker’s hungry mouth, he felt it latch onto his neck- licking and sucking at the sensitive flesh.

“No, please, STOP!” Charles pleaded in terror.

Lehnsherr’s eyes were ravenous and wild, “I WILL HAVE YOU!” He ripped open Charles shirt, tangling it around the smaller man’s arms. 

Charles screamed, “NO! NO! PLEASE! NOOOOO!”

“Charles!” Raven’s voice cut through the air. He could hear her footsteps running towards them. “Charles!”

“Help me! Raven, please!” Charles renewed his struggles, even as he felt tears begin to roll down his cheeks.

The wild look suddenly slipped from Lehnsherr’s features, replaced by desperate grief, “Forgive me, darling. I’m so sorry. _Please_ forgive me.”

“NO! Let me go! Help, help!”

A door slammed open. Raven’s worried voice called for him, “Charles! Where are you?”

Erik Lehnsherr finally disappeared, a faint _‘Forgive me..._ lingering in the air.

“Oh thank God!” Raven’s relieved voice was quickly followed by her arms wrapping around him. She looked down at his tear-stained face. “Wake up, Charles, it’s alright. Wake up.”

Charles opened his eyes, “Raven...” He looked around in confusion. “Where?”

She smiled gently, “You’re on the floor, Charles, and tangled up in blankets.” She began carefully untangling him then frowned, “How in the world did you manage to rip your shirt open and wrap it around your arms like this?”

Her brother shuddered, “I...I don’t know.”

Raven’s frown deepened as she adjusted his sleeves and noticed bruises forming on his wrists. “Oh Charles, you must’ve really struggled to free yourself. Your wrists are covered with bruises.” He looked at them but stayed quiet. She continued, carefully doing up the remaining three buttons of Charles’ pajama shirt. She noticed his skin was clammy and cold, as if he’d been outside. Looking around at the mess of blankets on the floor, she shook her head. “Come on, it’ll take too long to make the bed.” She stood up and quickly brought Charles’ wheelchair over to him. “You can stay with me tonight.”

Charles smiled weakly at her as she helped him climb into his chair. “Thank you, Raven.”

“Would you like me to push you? Your wrists look so sore...”

He nodded, “They do hurt a bit...”

Raven took the handles and pushed him out of his room, pausing only to flick off the light. They went through the darkened hall in silence, but it didn’t take long to reach Raven’s room. She helped Charles into her bed, making sure his wheelchair was close at hand, and then slipped in the other side. Once they were both cozy under the blankets, she finally spoke, “You haven’t had a nightmare in a long time.”

Charles turned on his side to face her, “It felt so real...”

“Was it the accident?” she asked softly.

He shook his head, “No...It was...someone attacked me.”

Raven’s brow furrowed, “Someone you know?”

“I don’t think so...I...I’m pretty sure he was a stranger.” He gave her an apologetic smile, “I’m sorry for waking you.”

She smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “Don’t worry about it. Tomorrow’s Sunday, we can sleep in, and you can make me pancakes.”

He chuckled softly, “Sounds fair to me. Goodnight, Raven.”

“Goodnight.”

+++

In the darkness of the orchard, a tormented spirit wandered amongst the trees. He wept in agony, his body aching to embrace his beloved...even as he tore at his hair and cursed himself for his appalling cruelty.


	10. Mystery and Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for comments and kudos!

The name “Erik Lehnsherr” was burned into Charles’ memory, but he wrote it down on a scrap of paper, just in case. Sunday passed by lazily enough, though Charles still felt on edge, and he was relieved when the school week started up again. Grading papers and planning lessons kept his mind off the nightmare that shook him so badly over the weekend. Unfortunately, they also prevented him from having the time to visit the public library, where he was hoping to find information on Erik Lehnsherr. It wouldn’t be until Friday after school that he would be able to go.

The days seemed to blur together, as Charles’ mind felt constantly on edge and distracted. He did what he could to act normal, after all grown men did not worry about nightmares, but by Friday he knew the strain was showing. He couldn’t wait until the day was over and he could start looking for answers.

So of _course_ a wrench was thrown in his plans.

Friday was Charles and Logan’s turn to do lunch time monitor duty. Aside from Logan’s entertaining company, it was usually a bit dull. Most of the students were too afraid of ‘the Wolverine’ to cause any trouble while he was on duty. Which was why Charles was so surprised when he first heard the unmistakable angry shouts and excited cheers of a schoolyard brawl. Logan raced ahead to break up the fight while Charles followed as quickly as he could. He watched as Logan shoved his way through the crowd, forcing the students apart and revealing the two fighters: Duncan Matthews and Alex Summers.

Charles sighed. Matthews was hardly a surprise, the boy was the spoiled and entitled type that often enjoyed bullying, but Charles was disappointed in Alex. He had been doing much better in his classes lately and it was a pity he was getting into fights again.

Logan had grabbed both of the fighting boys by the backs of their shirts, holding them apart. “Matthews! Summers! Why the hell am I not surprised?” He gave them both a rough shake, “Since you have so much energy, how about we go to the track for the rest of lunch? I guarantee you won’t feel like fighting after you’ve done a few dozen laps!”

“He started it!” Duncan pointed angrily at Alex.

“That’s a lie, you were picking on-” Alex was cut off by another shake from Logan.

“I wasn’t finished!” Logan snarled. “Running around the track is just step 1 of your punishment. Step 2 is detention after school!”

Both boys groaned and muttered, but a glare from the intimidating teacher stopped their protesting. Logan turned them around so they were facing Charles then raised an eyebrow at the younger teacher. “I’m gonna make one of these idiots clean the boys’ locker room with a toothbrush after school. The other one will have detention with you, Xavier.” Logan smiled viciously, “Any classroom chores you need done, here’s your chance.”

Inwardly, Charles sighed, it looked like he wouldn’t make it to the library after all. By the time detention was finished he’d never make it before closing time...unless... “Actually, I was hoping to go to the public library after school to do some research. An extra set of hands for carrying books and things could be quite helpful.”

Alex perked up, “I can do that, Mr. Xavier.” He glanced at Logan, who gave him a suspicious glare, then quickly looked to Charles with pleading eyes.

“Wait, no, I’ll help Mr. Xavier!” Duncan realized too late that Mr. Xavier would be the far more lenient teacher to spend detention with.

Charles gave Matthews a sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry Duncan, but Alex volunteered first.” He looked at Logan, “Is that acceptable, Mr. Howlett?”

Logan thought for a moment, frowning, but then finally nodded. “Yeah, it should be fine.” He looked down at Alex, “If I hear that you cause any trouble for Mr. Xavier, there’ll be Hell to pay, you got it?”

Alex nodded quickly, “Yes, sir.”

“Good. Now the two of you pains in my ass hurry up! You’ve got a date with the track for the next half hour.” He looked around at the crowd still surrounding them, “Don’t you brats have something to do?”

The students scurried off. Logan started heading after Alex and Duncan, but he paused next to Charles. “I know you can take care of yourself, Chuck, and I think deep down Alex is a good kid, but if he acts up or anything, you let me know. OK?”

Charles smiled, “I appreciate your concern, Logan, but I’m sure everything will be fine. Don’t worry.”

Logan nodded, “Alright, I’ll be at the track for the rest of lunch. If anyone else starts trouble, just give me a holler.”

“Will do,” Charles smirked slightly, “enjoy living up to your namesake.”

Logan grinned, gave him a little salute then jogged towards the boys and the track.

+++

At the end of the day, the students cleared out of the room with the speedy eagerness that always signaled the start of the weekend. He watched them for a moment with amusement before packing his papers and supplies into his briefcase.

“Mr. Xavier?”

Charles looked up to see Alex standing awkwardly in the doorway. The teacher smiled, “Just a moment, Alex.” He clicked his briefcase shut then balanced it easily on his lap. He gave the room a final look to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything then moved towards the door.

Alex held it open, “Do you want me to carry that for you, Mr. Xavier?”

Charles shook his head, “No thank you, I’ve got it.” He reached up and flicked off the lights. Once they were in the hall, Alex closed the door and Charles locked it.

The halls were already mostly cleared of students, so it didn’t take long to reach the front doors. Alex was quiet the entire short trip, but he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood at all, which surprised Charles a bit. He would’ve thought Alex would be upset about being forced to spend his Friday afternoon with his teacher at the library. Charles pushed the thought aside as he saw Hank standing at the front doors, waiting for him alone. Most days after school, Hank and Logan would wait for him by the front door to help him get down the school steps.

Hank gave a slightly apologetic smile, “Logan’s with a student in detention, but he said you’d have extra help with you today, anyways.” 

Charles smiled, “Alex here will be helping me do some research at the public library today.”

Hank perked up, “Scientific?”

“Historical,” he chuckled when he saw the younger teacher’s mild disappointment, “You’re welcome to join us if you like.”

Hank shrugged as he opened the door, “Sure, it could be fun.”

After a bit of awkward manoeuvring, Alex was able to help Hank lift Charles’ chair down the steps. Once Charles was settled on the ground, Hank pointed towards his car, “Should we drive?”

Charles shrugged, “It’s a nice day out, so I figured we’d walk, unless you don’t want to leave your car behind.”

Hank shook his head, “It’s fine; I’ll come back for it later.”

The walk to the library was pleasant. Despite the chill in the air, the sun was bright and cheerful. Hank did most of the talking, eagerly telling Charles about his latest experiments and scientific research. Alex remained quiet, but he seemed more relaxed than he’d been earlier. The front door of the library was flat on the ground, so once Alex opened the door, Charles was able to enter without difficulty. Alex kept the door open for Hank, too, which seemed to surprise the younger teacher but he gave the student a quick smile and a nod.

Charles looked around, “Is there something you’d like to look for, Hank?”

“Not really. I can help with whatever you’re working on.”

Charles smiled, “Excellent. Then we’ll need to head to the archives.”

Alex’s brow furrowed, “What _are_ you researching, Mr. Xavier?”

The older teacher was already moving towards the archives section, “I’m researching the history of my family in Knotlimb. Just for curiosity’s sake. I know so little about it...”

Hank nodded, “The Xavier family has always been a big name in Knotlimb; they were one of the founding families of the town.” He made a beeline towards a seemingly random row of shelves, “These books here are copies of the town records, dating back pretty much as far as the town goes. The originals aren’t available to the public, of course, they’re much too fragile. There are also biographies of important people, events, that sort of thing.”

Charles brow furrowed, “It’s a bit more daunting than I expected.”

Hank hummed absently in agreement, but kept his eyes on the book spines, “Why don’t we start with this...and maybe this...” He started pulling books off the shelves and absent-mindedly handing them to Alex.

“Uh, Mr. McCoy? This pile is getting a bit heavy, now.” Alex grunted as a particularly large tome was place on top of the pile in his arms.

Hank looked up, “Oh right, I guess that should do for now. What do you think, Charles?”

Charles was struggling to hide his amusement at the scene and managed to nod before clearing his throat, “It’s an excellent start, thank you Hank.”

Once seated at a table, the trio looked over the books. Alex curiously looked towards the older teacher, “So, um, I know you said you want to know about your family, but...is there something specific or?”

It was a good point. Charles knew it would’ve been easier to simply look up the name ‘Erik Lehnsherr’, but for some reason he felt he needed to look into his own family first. A flash of memory struck him, “Yes, actually, there is. I’m curious to find if there’s an Xavier ancestor by the name of Thomas.”

“Oh, that’s easy then,” Hank quickly reached out, shuffling a couple books aside, and grabbed a very old looking book. “The title stood out to me when I was looking on the shelf.” He handed it to Charles.

“ _Thomas Xavier: The Tragedy of Knotlimb’s Most Beloved Hero_ ,” Charles raised an eyebrow, “Well that seems rather melodramatic.”

Alex furrowed his brow, “Wait a minute; that name seems really familiar.”

Hank snapped his fingers, “The hospital. He founded Knotlimb Hospital. There’s a memorial plaque in the front entrance.”

Charles looked in confusion between Hank and Alex, “Well, I can see why founding a hospital would be heroic, especially in those days, but what was tragic about him?”

“He was murdered!” Alex leaned forward conspiratorially, “I didn’t put it together at first because all the kids just say ‘Dr. X’, but there are all kinds of rumours and stories people tell about him.”

Charles felt a chill settle in his bones, “I see. Do they know who the murderer was?”

Alex scratched his head, “I don’t remember the guy’s actual name. Most kids just call him the Knotlimb Nightmare. One thing everyone knows is that you should never walk alone near the woods up by-“

Hank cut him off, “Those are just silly ghost stories, not historical facts.” Despite his words, the younger teacher sounded a bit nervous. “I’m sure Mr. Xavier is more interested in his family’s accomplishments, not...that kind of thing.”

Charles forced himself to give them both a reassuring smile, “Yes, of course. After all, we are sitting in a library with my last name above the door. It’s no wonder I’m a bit curious.”

Both of his companions looked a bit embarrassed, and quickly picked up books to start looking through.

+++

Time flew by quickly and soon the library was closing. Between the three of them, they’d managed to find a good number of books to help with Charles’ research and eliminated those that proved unhelpful. Charles was thankful for more than just Hank and Alex’s help though. Their companionship kept Charles’ spirits up despite the truth behind his research. Hank offered to drive them both home, so after checking out the books they headed back to Hank’s car.

Once everyone was seated comfortably, Hank turned to look at Alex in the backseat, “Where do you live, Alex?”

“406 Dale Road.”

“Oh that’s right by the bakery that sells those apple dumplings, right?” Hank asked eagerly.

Alex smirked, “Yeah but they’ll be closed by now.”

Hank sighed and started the car. For a few minutes the small group was quiet, each in their own thoughts. In the back seat, Alex suddenly chuckled.

Charles turned to look back at him, confused, “What’s so funny all of a sudden?”

Alex shook his head, “If anyone had told me before today that I’d have detention on a Friday, with two teachers, at the library and _actually have fun_ , I would’ve called them crazy.”

Charles chuckled, “Just remember that if Mr. Howlett asks, you have to tell him you had a terrible time.”

Both Alex and Hank laughed at that.

+++

When they reached Charles’ home, Hank offered to help him bring the rather intimidating pile of books inside. They found Raven looking through the kitchen cupboards. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at them, “What have you two been up to? I’m usually home last on Fridays.”

Charles shrugged, “I visited the library to do some research. Hank and one of my students came with me to help.”

Raven turned around completely, giving him a curious look, “One of your students?”

Her brother shrugged, “The boy had detention and I really wanted to get to the library, so I brought him with me.”

She laughed, “The poor kid, I hope he did something awful to deserve that.”

Charles crossed his arms and certainly did not pout, but before he could say a word in his own defense, Hank jumped in. “Actually, Alex told us he had fun.”

Raven shook her head in amusement, “If you say so.” She gestured to the ingredients on the counter, “I’m making a casserole tonight, would you like to stay for dinner? It should be ready in an hour.”

Hank smiled a little bashfully, “Thanks but I can’t. I already promised my parents I’d visit them tonight.”

It was Raven’s turn to pout a bit, “Your loss, I make the best casserole.”

“I really am sorry, honestly, I love casseroles! It’s just that-” Poor Hank was beginning to stammer.

Charles shook his head smiling, “Don’t worry Hank, you’re always welcome to come over another time. Now let’s get these books upstairs to the study so you aren’t late.”

Hank nodded and hurried out of the kitchen. When he was gone, Charles couldn’t help shooting Raven a knowing smile, “You’re too cruel to him.”

She huffed and rolled her eyes, “He’s taking too long.”

Charles pushed the button to the elevator, “I know. He’s the type that needs a lot of patience, unfortunately. He’ll get braver, you’ll see.”

The elevator doors slid open and Charles manoeuvred inside. Before he could press the floor button, Raven spoke, “You really think so?”

“Of course, any man would be lucky to have you,” Charles smiled reassuringly, “And if anyone says otherwise, I’ll hit them with a stick.”

Raven laughed, “Alright, alright get out of here. I’ll show Hank out the door when he comes down.”

Charles pushed the second floor button and just as the doors began to shut he winked, “Good luck!”

The doors closed just as she let out a scandalized, but amused, _“Charles!”_

+++

As soon as Hank had left, Charles began searching through the book pile on his desk. He pulled out _Thomas Xavier: The Tragedy of Knotlimb’s Most Beloved Hero_. With all of the other books they had been going through at the library, Charles hadn’t had the chance to do more than glance at the first few pages. He opened it with the eagerness of discovery that he usually felt only for scientific research.

The first chapter detailed Thomas Xavier’s early life. He had been born in Knotlimb, but his father’s political ambitions led them to move to Washington when Thomas was still a baby. After several years in Washington the Xaviers had a second child, a daughter named Elizabeth, followed two years later by another son, Arthur. Sadly, Arthur’s birth had been too much for Mrs. Xavier and she passed away shortly after giving birth. 

Charles paused. Reading about the death of Mrs. Xavier, a complete stranger from a different century, should not have sparked the tightening in his chest he felt now. Charles blinked, surprised to find tears in his eyes. He shook his head; perhaps reading about the death of a _Mrs. Xavier_ struck too close to home. It was all too easy to trigger memories of his own mother’s death, years ago. Charles swallowed around the lump in his throat and forced himself to keep reading. The first chapter ended by explaining how Thomas took on many of the roles left empty by his mother’s absence, particularly the care of his younger siblings.

The second chapter detailed Thomas’ years studying medicine, including several minor discoveries and accomplishments he’d made. Charles was a bit surprised to discover that many of Thomas’ interests had overlapped with his own. He found himself wondering what Thomas would think of all the modern wonders of science and technology Charles had access to.

He was just starting the third chapter when he heard Raven call him, “Charles, dinner’s ready!”

Charles realized with a start that he was actually very, very hungry, “I’ll be down in a minute, Raven!”

He quickly book marked his page and headed downstairs.

+++

The moment he saw Raven he knew something was up. Her good mood seemed to fill the kitchen as she finished setting the food on the table. Charles couldn’t help grinning, “My God, Hank finally did it, didn’t he?”

Raven looked up at him, beaming as she filled his glass with water, “He’s taking me to dinner and the movies tomorrow.”

“That’s wonderful!” Charles took a scoop of casserole and began chewing. Raven really did make a very good tuna casserole.

Raven swallowed her first bite before speaking again, “Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

Charles shrugged, “I’ll probably be spending most of it reading to be honest. You saw that pile of books!” He noticed Raven’s concerned frown, and quickly continued, “And don’t forget, Sunday afternoon is Peggy’s birthday party. Saturday will be my only chance to get any reading done.”

His sister instantly perked up again, “Oh that’s right. When is it starting again?”

“Around one o’clock. Gives everyone a chance to go home after church and get changed if they need to.”

Raven nodded, “That sounds good. Are you bringing anything?”

“I was thinking of baking a couple pies. Would you be able to help me pick some apples in the orchard tomorrow?” Charles kept his voice light, but he was still uncomfortable at the thought of being in the orchard alone.

“Sure, I’ll have plenty of time during the day. But you’ll have to give me some of the credit when everyone is ooing and awing at your culinary skills.”

Charles rolled his eyes, “Of course, of course.” He looked down at his empty plate. “Do you need any help with the dishes?”

“Nah, that’s the best part about casserole: not a lot of dishes.” She stood up and started clearing the plates, “Get back to your reading, I can tell you want to.”

Charles smiled and headed to the elevator, “Thanks Raven.”

+++

Chapters three, four and five were all about Thomas Xavier’s experiences during the Civil War. He had been an army doctor and was credited with saving countless lives. It was fascinating reading; however Charles regretted eating before he started these chapters. The biographer spared no gory details when describing the battle wounds, infections and illnesses Dr. Xavier had been faced with. There were even a few photographs of the wounded, but thankfully, they were too old to make out any real detail.

It was during these war years that Thomas’ father had died. His siblings, still too young to live on their own, had been sent to stay with their aunt and uncle in Knotlimb. When Charles turned the next page, he was startled at the photograph on it. The book had very few pictures, and up to this point, they were mostly medical photographs. This one however...It was a portrait photograph of Dr. Thomas Xavier in uniform and even in grainy black and white, his likeness to Charles was _uncanny_ \- his wavy hair, smooth boyish face, his expression...If Charles could travel back through time and change places with Thomas Xavier, no one would ever notice the deception.

It took some effort for Charles to pull his attention away from the photograph to continue reading. The rest of chapter five described the end of the war, Dr. Xavier’s status as a decorated war hero and his decision to join his remaining family in Knotlimb.

Compared to the previous three chapters, chapter six started off rather dull. It detailed Dr. Xavier’s return to Knotlimb, how he purchased a home to live in with his younger siblings and his establishment of a small medical practice. It wasn’t until near the end of the chapter that Charles finally found the name that he had been waiting for: Erik Lehnsherr.

Just reading the name caused his insides to turn and he glanced around the room quickly. No one appeared out of thin air, of course, and he felt a bit foolish for a moment. With a shake of his head, he focused back on the book.

According to the book, Erik Lehnsherr was an immigrant who had settled in Knotlimb several years before the war. He had established a construction company, which quickly became one of Knotlimb’s most successful businesses. The book described Lehnsherr as a striking but stern figure who was rarely seen at social gatherings and had few, if any, friends. Charles frowned. There was something about the way the book described Lehnsherr that seemed...unjust...bigoted somehow. It was a strange feeling, this sense of unfairness, especially considering how horrific Mr. Lehnsherr was in his dream.

Charles pushed those uncomfortable thoughts aside and continued reading. The book described how Thomas Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr met when the latter was wounded in an accident and went to Dr. Xavier for treatment. To Charles’ annoyance, the book didn’t give any details on the nature of Lehnsherr’s accident or injuries. However, the last few lines of the chapter made it clear that this first meeting led to a friendship between the two men. Oddly, the tone of the writing seemed almost...disapproving.

He made a note of it, along with the page number, on a pad of paper and was about to start on the next chapter when Raven popped her head in. “I’m going to bed, do you need anything?”

Charles smiled at her, “No thanks, I’ll be fine. Have a goodnight.”

“OK, but don’t stay up too late. Your eyeballs will fall out of your head.” She smirked.

“But think of the contribution it would be to science! Not to mention that students the world over would thank me for proving to their teachers that too much reading _can_ be detrimental to their health.”

Raven crossed her arms, “If I wake up to go to the washroom at three in the morning and find you still reading in here, _THAT_ will be detrimental to your health. Understand?”

Her brother chuckled, “Alright, alright. Just one more hour at most, I promise.”

She nodded her approval, “Goodnight, Charles.”

“Sweet dreams, Raven.”

She closed the door, her footsteps quietly padding away. Charles turned his attention back to his book. Chapter seven focused mainly on Thomas Xavier’s slow development of his medical practice into a full hospital. It was clear, despite the book’s odd reluctance to state it out-right, that Mr. Lehnsherr played a major role in helping Thomas achieve his goals. The book _did_ seem to emphasize how much Thomas’ friendship seemed to improve Lehnsherr’s social life and relationship with the town. By this point, it was obvious that the biographer believed Lehnsherr had gotten the better deal out of the friendship than Thomas had.

No. That wasn’t all. The biographer seemed convinced Lehnsherr was _unworthy_ of his friendship with Thomas.

Charles started to make a note of it when he felt the temperature in the room drop drastically. The sickening, crawling, feeling made its way slowly up his spine and along his nerves, causing his hand to shake so badly that he dropped his pen. He looked around, wide-eyed, and realized that the room had gotten so cold he could see his breath. Charles tried to calm his racing heart, at least enough to let himself speak. His throat was almost painfully dry from the frigid air, but he managed to hoarsely whisper, “Are you there?”

“Yes.” The word, spoken by the voice from his nightmare, slithered across his skin.

Charles’ body shuddered so violently that he gripped the top of his desk in an attempt to ground himself. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced toward the door. The lamp next to it burnt out with a loud _POP_ that made Charles gasp. The lamp on his desk quickly followed. The room was plunged into darkness, until the frightened man’s eyes adjusted to the dim moonlight coming through the window. Looking around the now shadowy room, he whispered, “What do you want?”

_Thomas Xavier: The Tragedy of Knotlimb’s Most Beloved Hero_ snapped shut, “I want a great many things, dearest Charles.” The book flew across the room, violently hitting a bookshelf.

Charles steeled himself, “Like for me to stop reading about you?”

“That _filth_ is nothing but _LIES_!” The voice snarled viciously. A shadow suddenly loomed over Charles’ desk, reaching for him. Panicking, he pushed away from the desk, hard, slamming the back of his wheelchair into the wall a few feet behind him. The shadow quickly followed, trapping him and surrounding him in icy darkness.

Whatever nerves Charles Xavier had left, failed him. He huddled in his chair, arms covering his head protectively. The cold and fear made him tremble so badly his teeth chattered. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, “I’m so sorry. I meant no offense; I swear. _Please_ have mercy.”

Freezing hands painfully gripped Charles’ wrists, pulling his arms away from his head, but he didn’t dare to look up. Slowly he felt his arms forced down, his hands pressed into his lap. For a moment the icy grip lingered, but finally it pulled back. A melancholy sigh broke the silence, “Do not apologize. I...I have not been patient enough with you.”

Charles dared to peak upwards. In the shadows cast by the moonlight, he could just make out the gaunt, pale figure from his nightmare. He quickly cast his eyes down again, “I do not know what my ancestor did to make you hate him so but I-“ 

”No, Charles!” The apparition was suddenly kneeling before him, “I could never hate you.” Those cold, clammy fingers reached up to caress his cheek. “Far from it. There is nothing I have ever treasured more.”

The smaller man pulled away, “Then why did you attack me?”

Lehnsherr looked down, regret and shame carved into his face, “I have waited so long to be reunited with you. When you could not remember me or your true self, when you denied my affections and spurned my advances...it wounded me.” He shook his head sadly, “I should not have lashed out.”

Charles swallowed thickly, “Then you are still convinced that I am Thomas Xavier.”

“Of course, I would know you anytime, anywhere, though I understand now that it may take you some time to accept the truth.” He reached forward and took Charles’ hand, placing a slow, gentle kiss on top of it. “Thomas or Charles, it matters not. We are reunited once more and I will never lose you again.”

Charles slowly shook his head in denial. There was no mistaking the longing...the _hunger_...in the apparition’s eyes. “I’m sorry, truly I am, but I...I’m not like you. I don’t...”

Lehnsherr’s icy grip tightened on his hand, eyes narrowing and expression growing dark, “You don’t like men?” He sneered, grabbing Charles’ face with his free hand and forcing him to look him in the eye, “ _Liar._ Do you think I didn’t notice the way you looked at that brutish friend of yours? Or the way that _he_ looked at _you_?”

Fear and confusion battled through Charles’ mind. He tried to shake his head, but the grip on his face was like a steel trap. “No, no you’re mistaken-“

The ghoul’s features twisted with fearsome jealousy. He shook Charles roughly, “Am I? That worthless beast strutted around this place as though he owned it, owned _you_. How casually he spoke to you, how freely he dared to touch you! And you...smiling and blushing for _him_ , when it’s _me_ you belong to!”

Charles’ world tilted dizzily as he was lifted out of his wheelchair and thrown onto the floor. The force of the throw caused him to see stars, despite the rug beneath him muffling the sound of his landing. The being towered above him, fists clenched, surrounded by an aura of darkness and violence. Charles dared not speak; afraid he might set the mad spirit off again.

“I don’t want to hurt you, _my love_ , but there are some things you must _learn_.”

In a blur of movement Lehnsherr’s face was mere inches from his own. One of his icy hands grabbed a fistful of Charles’ hair and yanked his head back; the other gripped his chin painfully. Charles was forced to stare once more into Lehnsherr’s eyes. “You belong to me.”

Terror gripping his heart, Charles barely managed a breathless whisper, “No.”

The monstrous spirit roared in outrage, freezing his victim’s blood. It lunged forward, slamming Charles’ already battered body back into the floor. Too stunned to defend himself, Charles could do nothing to stop his attacker from pressing cold, dead lips against his own and it was too much, just too much. 

Charles fainted.


End file.
